


Love and Other Games

by LadySansasDirewolf



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Badass Rey, Ben Solo is a Mess, Dark Luke, Dark Poe Dameron, F/M, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Lady Rey of Jakku, Prince Ben Solo
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-02
Updated: 2020-01-26
Packaged: 2020-06-02 12:58:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 24
Words: 57,180
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19441936
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadySansasDirewolf/pseuds/LadySansasDirewolf
Summary: Anakin Skywalker and his wife are ready to step down from the throne of Naboo, but in order for Benjamin Amidala Skywalker Solo to ascend to the throne, he must marry. Luckily the Royal Families settled that long ago. At the age of 15, the Prince was betrothed to the granddaughter of Obi-Wan Kenobi, Reyanna Kenobi, age 5.Now 17, Reyanna, or Rey as she is known to her training Masters, has grown strong in the Force and secure in her ability to provide for herself. Marriage and the thrones of two of the Royal Families were not in her plans. Worse are the rumors she’s heard of the debauchery of the Crown Prince.Rey has no desire to be a notch on any belt. Neither broodmare nor harlot are where her training and discipline have been focused.Ben Solo is 27 and enjoying being rich, royal, and spoiled. Since graduating from college he’s been waiting for his life to begin. Is it his fault that the best way to kill time when you’re royal is in the company of gorgeous women? They practically throw themselves onto him, who is he to deny them.Ben sees no problems. A wife for public functions, a mistress or two for companionship.What could possibly go wrong?





	1. Chapter 1

Chapter One – Life Changes 

The sun was just sinking below the horizon on Jakku when the shuttle bearing the Royal Crest of Naboo floated to a gentle landing next to the main tent housing the training facilities of the Church of the Force’s secret paramilitary arm, The Qadal. Reyanna Kenobi, Lady of Jakku along with the other eight in her cadre were returning from training in the deep desert and looking forward to bathing in the cool spring of the oasis’ pools. Noticing the shuttle, she frowned deeply. A shuttle from Naboo almost always meant her grandfather and while Rey adored Obi-Wan, she was in no mood to be social until she’d bathed, meditated, and eaten. 

“Rey,” her second Cassabian of Endor trotted his sand horse alongside, “what is your grandfather doing here? I thought he said he wouldn’t come again until you straightened up.” 

“I don’t know. Maybe the priest called for him. I know they are still upset about my decision to join the Qadal.” 

“That’s because he’s never seen you in action. If he knew what a natural you are with the Force, he wouldn’t question it.” 

“It’s not a fit ambition for a lady, that’s the answer I always get.” 

Cassbian smiled. “Well you have to admit, you’re a shite cook.” 

Rey narrowed her eyes at her second, then spurred her sand horse, a golden hair pony named Teedo, toward the compound. If Obi-Wan was on planet, might as well get this over with. He’d sense her presence any way. If she waited until she was in a fit mood for company, it might take a few days. 

This training session had been intense, and more than once she’d relied on her Force abilities to complete some of the obstacles, and Rey was ready for down time. Perhaps Sir Lor San Tekka, their priest could let Rey and Andrea head to Takodana for a few days before sending them their first assignments. The entire cadre deserved some r & r on a beautiful green estate for a change. 

Rey had been on Jakku for twelve years, ever since leaving Naboo and her grandfather’s estates. Since being handed over to the Church for her safety and training Rey had trudged through sand mountains and hidden to escape planet-wide sand storms. Now that her training was complete, she was ready for whatever the universe decided was her fate, so long as she was able to move whenever the need struck her. 

Her grandfather’s assistant met her in the courtyard. 

“Obi-Wan is waiting for you in San Tekka’s office, my lady.” 

****** 

Obi-Wan felt the oppressive heat the moment the shuttle doors opened. Why the church had decided to place their combat training facility on Jakku he’d never know. Nor why his son took such delight in living in all this sand. He grabbed his chest, the emptiness of the senseless deaths of his son and daughter-in-law striking him while his shields were weak. Murdered by the First Order over the contents of a droid, shot at point blank range by General Brendol Hux during the Battle of Niima Outpost, Obi-Wan still felt the hole torn in the Force by their deaths. Reyanna had been ten. 

Sir Lor San Tekka was waiting for him inside the front hall, with water and a cool cloth. 

“Welcome to Jakku, Obi-Wan. How was the voyage from Naboo?” 

“Good other than the reason for my visit. Anakin and Padme are feeling their ages, and Leia is tied up with Alderaan. With Luke joining with the Dark Side, it is time for Benjamin to grow up and take over the throne, which means it is time for Reyanna to join her betrothed.” 

San Tekka began chuckling. 

“I’m glad you find this humorous my old friend.” 

“I’m only thinking of you, my old friend. Your granddaughter is quite the independent thinker, and finding out she’s to marry the biggest man-whore in the galaxy should be just enough to guarantee a storm to top all storms. Are you sure you’re ready for the fallout?” 

“No.” 

“At least you are man enough to remember the temper that chestnut-haired little demoness packs in that smallish body. I almost feel sorry for the Crown Prince.” 

Obi-Wan snorted. “The only person I feel sorry for right now is Anakin. It falls to him and Padme to inform the Crown Prince of his upcoming nuptials and to remove the harlots and other less savory individuals from the palace before I return with Reyanna.” 

“You know she already knows about his, shall we say, sordid life-style, and is far from impressed.” 

“All she has to do is marry him. They can learn to love each other.” 

“If you can convince her to stay.” 

“What do you mean?” 

San Tekka shrugged his shoulders. “She’s a trained Assassin now, Ben. I cannot promise the Qadal won’t tap her for an assignment, especially if it is within the Court of Naboo. Rey’s command of the Force and her compassion and justice are in high demand. She carries quite the following.” 

Rubbing his forehead, Obi-Wan glared at his friend. “She was never supposed to complete the damn training.” 

“I cannot keep students from learning, especially one as powerful as Rey.” 

“Her name is Reyanna, please stop using that nickname.” 

“Would you prefer I use her Assassin name? Alsamt?” 

“I would prefer she not have to marry while she is barely seventeen!” 

The smile on the priest face made Obi-Wan angrier. 

“All is as the Force wills, my friend.” 

****** 

“What do you mean you’re abdicating? The throne is for life, you both have drilled that into my brain since I was old enough to sit up on my own. “ 

Crown Prince Benjamin Amidala Skywalker Solo ran his fingers through his thick raven hair, wondering if someone had paid his grandparents to pull a prank on him. Abdicate?! That would make him king, and that would mean - 

“What about that girl, the one you keep telling me I have to marry before I can be king? I’m not married, so I can’t be king. I’m not ready to get married, much less run the entire planet.” 

His grandmother fixed him with that stare, the ‘don’t pull that shit with me’ look that scared Ben as well as his father and grandfather. Padme Naberrie Amidala Skywalker was a force of her own nature, and the men in the family had soon learned when to fight and when to roll over and capitulate. 

But Ben wasn’t paying attention to Padme’s ever straightening back, or he would have known to shut up and figure out a solution later. All he could think about was the loss of personal freedom he was about to experience. No more late nights at the gaming tables, no more orgies with the most beautiful women in the kingdom, no more drunken fucks in bathrooms and closets. His life would be over. 

At that moment, Ben had three mistresses, all chosen for different talents. While the three all hated each other with a passion, they were exceptionally jealous of any other woman attempting to move in on the prince. Bazine especially was known for ruining those she thought were trying to remove her from Ben’s bed. How was he supposed to fit a wife into the mix? 

A clearing throat brought him back to the present, and his grandmother’s death stare. 

“Ben, this is the end. No more. You are to marry Reyanna, and you will be faithful to her, or I swear to the Maker I will neuter you myself. Now I have made arrangements with your ‘ladies’ to leave Naboo at once and as long as they never contact us or return to the planet, they will be well taken care of until such time as they are settled. But this is the end, Benjamin. It is time to grow up. And do not think you can run to your mother to overrule our decision. She does not rule on Naboo, your grandfather and I have that honor.” 

Raising her hand in dismissal, Ben found himself in the hallway with his aide, Armitage Hux. Friends and companions since childhood, Hux was the son of the head chef and the only person in the universe secure from Ben Solo’s temper tantrums. 

Currently Ben was glaring at the universe and storming toward the training rooms. Hux quickly moved to his side so they could talk quietly. 

“So your grandparents are finally going to take some time for themselves? Good for them. They deserve a break.” 

“What about me? Don’t I deserve a break?” 

“Ben, you’ve been a lazy shithead since finishing school. You’re 27, not twelve. What’s so wrong about settling down? I would love to meet my soulmate.” 

“I don’t know that this girl is my soulmate, only that she was convenient. She could be a fat sow for all I know. I haven’t seen her since she was five.” 

“What do you know about her?” 

Ben had to think, which was harder with the hangover he was enduring. It would have made his meeting with Anakin and Padme easier if he’d been slightly buzzed. 

“She’s ten years younger, she’s grown up on Jakku, and she’s got hazel eyes.” 

“That’s it?” 

“It’s been twelve years, Hux. It’s not like I have perfect recall.” 

“Hang on.” 

Hux pulled them into the castle’s library. Seating himself at a computer, he began searching for Reyanna Kenobi of Jakku. It didn’t take them long to discover the story of the massacre at Niima Outpost, of which Reyanna was the only survivor, if you can call being ten, losing one’s parents and being branded with a slave mark by the First Order surviving. A more recent article said the Lady Reyanna, betrothed of Crown Prince Benjamin of Naboo was studying with the Church of the Force, mostly recovered from her run-in with the First Order, her slave mark burned away and bacta healed. 

Clicking on images, the most current was from her sixteenth birthday, seven months previous, the official portrait of a beautiful young woman on the cusp of being grown up. But it was another picture that caused both men to stop and stare with open mouths. 

Dressing the traditional white linen garments of the desert dwellers she trained with, Reyanna sat atop a sand horse, his nostrils flaring and neck curved in pride. Her chestnut hair blew free in the wind like a wanton, and the wind molded the garments to her slight frame, making every curve and line of her visible to the viewer. Her eyes were closed, her head thrown back, a slight smile on her face. The picture of a passionate woman in touch with her emotions.

Ben sat back in his chair. His betrothed was beautiful, perhaps the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. Already his mind was running circles thinking of the moment he would possess the lithe form before him. Would she even be able to take all of him, as small as she appeared? 

Hux looked up and then punched him in the arm. 

“Ow Hux, what the fuck?” 

“She’s no harlot Ben. She won’t fall for your usual tricks. You’re going to have to win this one over, I can already tell.” 

Ben felt a small knot of insecurity beginning to tighten in his stomach. 

He was beginning to like his fiancée. 

Whatever would he tell his mistresses?


	2. Decisions are like lovers. You can only follow one.

Chapter Two - 

“The desert will become an ocean before I marry that, that, idiot Ben Solo!” 

During the three-day trip from Jakku to Naboo, Rey spoke little to her grandfather except to protest the upcoming nuptuals. She was pissed, and made sure everyone knew of her unhappiness. Luckily Obi-Wan hadn’t searched the contents of her valise, and her throwing knives and saber-staff were in two different hidden pockets of her cloak. Knowing she had the main tools of her trade released enough of Rey’s stress that she even ventured up to the main salon. Might as well get the lecture over with. 

Obi-Wan sat on a sofa, catching up on his meditation time, but he sensed Reyanna needed to talk. 

“What is it, my dear?” 

“Obi-Wan, I do not wish to be shackled to a man who cannot be faithful, a man who runs away from his duties, who does not care for me nor any woman except for what is between her legs. I will not shame you, nor will I allow the Crown Prince to bring shame upon our house. I would rather scavenge the sands of Jakku until Ri’ila takes my breath.” 

“Reyanna, Benjamin is a complex man. Too many extreme emotions that change like the wind. Anakin and Leia both hope your strength will be a balm for his anger issues.” 

“A true man doesn’t need a woman to soothe his anger.” 

“You must allow yourself an open mind, granddaughter.” 

That was the last straw for Rey. For two days all anyone had tried to do was talk about how handsome Ben Solo was and how lucky she was to be marrying the Crown Prince. She’d had all of the fake niceties she could stand. Drawing herself up as tall as she could, she threw a withering sneer at her grandfather. 

“I must? I MUST? I am Alsamt, the silent wind, bringer of the Force’s Justice. The only thing I must do is follow where the Force takes me, and I do NOT sense that this puffed up man-slut is where my tale ends. My duty is clear, to bring balance to the Force and peace to the galaxy. It is my duty, as Alsamt, to kill Darth Vader known in his previous life as Luke Skywalker! 

“Once we land on Naboo, Grandfather, I will not draw any attention to this distasteful state of affairs between us. But know now, and take this to my lord Anakin and Lady Padme. You can force me to sign the marriage banns, but you can never force me to spend one moment longer than absolutely necessary in the presence of that waste of humanity.” 

With her mind clearly known, Rey spun on her heel and made for her quarters. Her cadre was waiting. As their leader, she needed to focus, clear her mind and energy and begin planning how and when to dispatch the First Order’s Dark Jedi, Darth Vader. When the Kabal had awakened her, in the dying starlight of the desert night, she’d thought perhaps they had come to save her from this nightmare. Instead, with a dagger to her heart, and a sword to her throat, they had given her their first assignment. 

“Reyanna. . .” 

“No General Kenobi,” Rey stepped back, hardening her emotions as she’d been taught by the very man now trying to con her into accepting this very unwanted situation. “Law give you the right to sell me however you wish, but no law in the galaxy can command me to give myself to that monster. The galaxy will explode before I allow him to touch me.” 

With that she turned and stormed out of the room. Obi-Wan stared at the disappearing back of his only living relative and sighed heavily. Reyanna had no intentions of making this easy on anyone, and for not the first time, Kenobi began to wonder if he really was too old for this shit. 

****** 

Once back in her quarters, Rey took a deep cleansing breath and called out quietly for her cadre to join her. The nine of them had been a unit since she was thirteen, and they were the only people with whom she felt comfortable opening up and being herself. Listening to them joke and clean their weapons as she leaned back on her bunk, she began to process her mission. The Qadal did not accept failure, and this mission was of vital importance to the entire galaxy. 

Cassabian noticed her silence, and came over to lie next to her, his head in her lap. Without thinking, Rey began to caress his silver blonde locks. Cassabian was closer to Rey than anyone in the universe, except for her Master and Obi-Wan. He’d been her first friend, her first kiss, her first blood, and Rey knew she would be lost without the grizzly assassin at her side. 

“What’s wrong, my lady? Worrying about the wedding night to come?” 

Rey rolled her eyes so hard it gave her a headache. 

“Not at all. In fact, I just laid down the law to Kenobi. They can force me to marry that asshole, but they cannot command me to let him touch me. All I have to do is maintain my distance, and Ben Solo will never lay a finger on me. Which will leave us free to plan our first mission. 

“The Kabal must have heard about your skill with a saber staff. To have a new cadre assigned to bring down the Dark Jedi is unheard of. It is a testimony to your skills, Alsamt.” 

Cassabian reached up and pulled Rey down to his lips. Soon, she would belong to the puffed-up prince, but for tonight, she was still his desert wind. The myriah blew twice a year, in the spring to bring the scarce rains, and in the fall to scour away all dead things. That was how she saw her relationship with Cassbian. Most nights they brought richness to each other’s quiet desert lives, but whenever her moon’s blood was hot, their bodies ached to learn all of each other’s mysteries. 

But they both knew nothing permanent could come of their relationship, and both valued the friendship more than the physical closeness of the cold desert nights. 

Andrea, the only other femal in the cadre, came over to pull Cassabian off of Rey and onto her own body. 

“Cass, you’re going to have to learn that Rey cannot pet you anymore. Unless you are looking forward to losing your head from your shoulders.” 

“Sounds to me like Rey isn’t going to let that playboy wastrel anywhere near her lap, or any other part of her body,” Cass smirked. “Of course, we could just remove his dick from his body. That would solve many problems.” 

Rey smacked her second in command across the face. “He might be a whore, but he still is the Crown Prince. We as a group must keep him safe from Darth Vader.” 

Kez Marab, from Chandrilla, chimed in. “When I was a child it was well known that Vader is actually Luke Skywalker, which makes him now your uncle by marriage.” 

Pulling out a large boning knife, Rey grinned. 

“Oh, I have a feeling the family reunion is going to be a killer.” 

Cassabian and Kez both rolled their eyes. 

“On a positive note,” Rey continued, “I’ve sent messages to both Queen Padme and Queen Leia as to my requirements for this farce of a marriage. We shall see how important this actually is to Naboo and Alderaan.” 

“What did you ask?” Andrea was always curious. One day, Rey was afraid her innate curiosity might get the slight red-head killed. 

“My own chambers, well away from the Crown Prince; my own staff; my own training facilities; and my cadre as my Blood Guard.” 

Andrea nodded in quiet agreement. “At least you didn’t demand the prince be tested for STDs.” She glanced at Rey’s red face and laughed. “Oh you didn’t?” 

“Actually, I demanded a complete physical to determine everything wrong with the bastard.” 

“And when you find out his shit attitude is just genetic?” 

“Then we steal a ship and complete our mission.” 

The nine exchanged looks, solidifying their position. This was the future, and all were ready to commit their lives and well-being to Reyanna of Jakku. 

*******

Anakin stood on the balcony outside his wife's bedroom, watching the city prepare for Reyanna's arrive the next day. The people loved Padme, and were excited about the prospect of a new princess. It had been a long time since Leia was a baby, and while Ben was the Prince, the people seemed to make more over their female rulers than male. Probably due to the mistakes men make that women seem to navigate around.

Like the spectacle currently taking place in his grandson's room one floor down. While the two lessor mistresses had taken the money and the suitable husbands Leia and Padme provided, Lady Bazine Netal had no intention of losing her place at court. Of a higher social standing than Jessa or Tallie, she was refusing to leave to the point where Han Solo had been dispatched with his Wookie partner Chewbacca to physically remove the slut from the palace.

Gods but Ben was being stubborn. Padme actually slapped the boy, and he was her favorite. But they were all tired to Ben's selfishness and self-centered entitlement. He glanced again at the note in his hand, sent through subspace relay to arrive well ahead of the Kenobi's shuttle. Obi-Wan had been brief:  
"Have Reyanna, headed for Naboo. Be prepared for a storm."

So the little girl had become a woman. He looked at the picture from the Galactic Republic newspaper, the same one Ben and Hux drooled over a week previous and a smirk broke out across his face. Ben had no idea what was about to hit him.

Padme returned from the front courtyard. "Well, with Lady Netal on her way to Takodana, that is the last of the harlots out of our house. I have the staff scrubbing everything to remove the smell of cheap perfume and stale smoke. Have you heard from Old Ben?"

Running his hands across her soft skin, Anakin smiled at his bride of more than fifty years. "They will arrive on time tomorrow morning. Reyanna is being, difficult."

"Of course she is, Ani. She's heard the rumors of Ben's drunken womanizing all the way in the deep deserts of Jakku. No one wants a man-whore for a husband. But apparently she has demands, which I for one am more than pleased to offer, knowing they might be the break Ben needs to get his head out of his ass."

"Oh?"

"Nothing outrageous. Other than she refuses to have anything to do with the Crown Prince until she is certain he is, ahem, disease free."

That was the laugh Anakin needed. It came from deep inside and he could feel Padme trying not to laugh along with him. "Oh, my dearest Padme. Why do I have the feeling things around Theed are going to be quite interesting for the next few months?"

"Months? If I remember that little spitfire, I'll be surprised if she lets him bed her before their fifth anniversary."

Anakin narrowed his eyes. "Fifth? I foresee a LONG LONG dry spell for my grandson. Maybe he should invest in a hand lotion company."

Laughing, the two moved inside to head for dinner. Tonight would be the calm before the storm moved in. A swirling myriah named Rey.


	3. Presentation

After the rest of her cadre settled into their bunks, Rey called Andrea to her room through their mental link. All members of the Qadal were trained to use their Force abilities to communicate across short distances. It helped with assignments, keeping their presence hidden from those they were sent to dispatch. But Rey needed the team’s medic before their arrival on Naboo. 

Drea arrived carrying a small jar and a small jeweled dagger. She smiled at her commander. 

“Are you sure about this Alsamt? The ritual is supposedly painful.” 

“I have no choice Mumarata. My wedding is in a month. It will take that long for the procedure to heal.” 

Nodding once, the woman placed the jar next to Rey’s bed. Turning to the basin, she washed her hands and then the dagger, laying the small knife on a piece of linen while Rey disrobed and lay uncovered on top of the blankets. Gathering the dagger, Drea began to chant quietly, pulling the Force to her side. Suddenly Rey grabbed her friend’s elbow. 

“You’re sure this will work?” 

Drea smiled. “Relax, my lady. Assassins have been using bacta for this purpose for centuries. Otherwise, not many desert princesses would arrive for their nuptials intact.” 

Rey lay back, and Drea pressed her palm across the young woman’s eyes, sending her into a Force sleep while the team’s medic did her work. First, she pulled the Force around her like a cloak, asking for guidance from those who have gone before. Once she felt the onrush of power, she took the dagger and made a small nick in Rey’s femoral artery. Gathering the rich pulse on her fingers, she took the jar of bacta and mixed Rey’s blood with the clear gel located inside. 

Once the two were well mixed, Drea brought to her mind what she wished to happen. With that picture firmly in place, she smeared a good portion of the bacta/blood mixture on her fingers and inserted them into Rey’s pussy, pushing the magic ointment deep inside, willing the Force to reconstruct the girl’s inner structure. Creating a renewed virgin. 

Now the Royal Families would never know of the true relationship between Rey and Cassabian. The seventeen-year-old would be able to present herself to any medical professional and her new bridegroom as pure. No one was to ever know about Alsamt and her true calling. The Force had willed it so, and it was Drea’s charge to make sure that as happened as foretold. 

Drea snorted to herself as she reflected on what she did. Now all that remained was to have Cassabian’s interests directed to either herself or perhaps Shaana. If what she knew about Anakin Skywalker were true, if Cass were to spend a moment too long staring at Rey, his head could leave his shoulders. Drea argued with the Elders the Endoran should have stayed on Jakku, but was overruled on all sides, stating Rey’s need for safety trumped common sense. The Elders claimed once Drea completed the ritual Cassabian’s need for Rey would dissipate, that once his brain remembered the truth of his birth and circumstances, he would once again become her second, not her lover. 

Of course, she had argued against the Elders making the Bond between the them in the first place, due to Rey’s age and Cass’s unhealthy obsession with the Crown Prince. But after the massacre at Niima Outpost the Elders had been frantic to protect their treasured princess, and Cassabian fit their requirements for a Champion. 

By the time she was finish, Mumarata, the healer, was weary but certain that the Force had done her bidding. Rey slept, the curves of her body reflecting her youth, and Drea pulled a blanket over her naked body. Returning to her own berth, she found a disgruntled Cass waiting for her. 

“It is done?” 

Drea nodded. “How do you feel?” 

“Empty.” 

“Talk with Kez. He’s been through this before. He can help you handle the whipsaw of emotions that are going to rage for about another month. But you cannot talk to Rey about anything, or the binding might unravel and all hell break loose.” 

“What should I do?” 

She felt sorry for her brother in arms, but worse she could feel the emptiness he was talking about, dark and cold, inside the center of his heart. Against her better judgment she took his hand and pulled him into her berth. Better this than her friend fall to the Dark Side because of a broken heart. Taking his hand, she pulled him to her berth. 

“Use me to forget her,” she breathed into his ear. 

****** 

Ben watched the sky as Obi-Wan's shuttle landed, uncertain if he were truly ill or if the nausea he currently felt could have anything to do with the wave of Force strength he felt flowing from the sleek ship. He was about to meet the woman he was to be shackled to for the rest of his life, and Ben honestly felt like throwing up. 

Watching his grandmother kick out the women he’d fucked over the past five years had been disturbing in that he’d felt nothing as he watched them pack their shit and be flown off planet. It brought home, in a convoluted manner, how empty and meaningless everything had been: the women, the sex, the drugs, the drinking. With a sharp inhale he pulled his wandering thoughts back to the moment. 

Anakin and Padme stood on either side of him, his grandmother holding his right hand tightly in her own. He glanced down at the tiny yet powerful ruler. 

“Ben, I know you’re worried, but you have a month to get to know her before the wedding. Do NOT try to bed her. You need to learn to talk to each other in order to become effective rulers.” 

“I know Nana Padme, but you know that I am shit when it comes to talking to girls.” 

“That’s because you’ve always let your physical appearance do the talking. Rey grew up these past ten years on Jakku. She’s a bit of a loner, so perhaps awkwardness will be her issue as well. But Ben, there is no substitute for showing someone you care about them. It’s gotten your grandfather and I through many struggles.” 

“Including when the Emperor tried to convince Pop Pop to kill you?” 

Padme sniffed and lifted her head. “Ani never listened well before the fall of Coruscant, and neither do you. Pay attention to her, my son, and perhaps you will find your life partner, as did I.” 

The ramp extended outward and down, and Ben straightened his back. 

Showtime. 

First came two priests of the Church of the Force, Sir Lor San Tekka following them closely. Once they reached the end of the ramp, the three turned and stood looking expectantly at the darkness inside the ship. 

Next came eight individuals dressed in the desert garb of the Qadal, their light sabers hanging from leather belts. They took up their positions on both sides of the ramp, forming an honor guard for the Kenobis. 

Anakin murmured to Ben, “Those are her cadre, the squad Reyanna has been training with since she was ten. They are to be her Blood Guard, sworn to give up their lives for hers no matter the circumstances. All are seasoned desert fighters, quite a lethal team according to San Tekka.” 

At last Obi-Wan stepped to the opening, holding out his hand behind him for Reyanna to join him in the sunlight. Slowly the woman moved into view, and Ben felt his heart drop into his stomach. 

She was more beautiful in person than in the photos. 

Reyanna wore a white linen tunic, armless, cut to a v-neck between her breasts. A corresponding v-cut lowered the back to just above the curve of her ass. The top was cut on both sides up to the hip, and her legs were covered with cream colored tights. Low heeled desert boots completed the ensemble. 

Her hair was done in desert fashion, pulled into the traditional three buns and her arms were covered by long, fingerless gloves. Holding Obi-Wan's hand out before her, Reyanna of Jakku was a vision of far-away lands and exotic people. 

Outside the fence which separated the landing field from the viewing area where thousands upon thousands stood waiting for a glimpse of their new princess. As soon as she stepped into view, a roar of approval rose and Rey’s head turned toward the noise, her hand tightening on her grandfather’s arm. Ben was sure he saw a blush rise from her neck upward. 

Interesting, he thought. So many people obviously made her highly uncomfortable. Another side effect of desert living, lack of people. Here she would be endlessly photographed, interview, imitated, her every choice of clothing and action dissected for the masses. Ben wondered if she would survive the constant grabbing of the people toward the private lives of their royals, given her previous training. 

The wind blew steadily, causing her tunic to billow. Unlike Obi-Wan she wore no cloak, the only adornment on her body was a scar on her right arm, and the light sabre that hung from her hip. She was strong with the Force, Ben mused. Perhaps they could train together, another way to build a relationship out of nothing. Briefly he wondered who might have been her Master but decided it was more than enough that she was Force sensitive as was he. Ben had often seen that as the fatal flaw in both his parents and grandparents’ relationships – Force users marrying non-sensitives. 

They crossed the tarmac and up the stairs to the waiting Royal Family. Reyanna, Ben noticed, would not look at him. Instead her eyes remained firmly fixed on the ground, as if she would fall if she didn’t monitor her steps. For a brief moment he felt her aura shimmer with uncertainty and a healthy dose of fear. It clutched at his heart to know she had any fear, especially if it was a fear of him. Upon reaching the top step, Reyanna stopped while Obi-Wan approached the family waiting for them. 

Anakin stepped forward to greet his former Master and best friend. 

“Ben, I’m so glad you are back on Naboo, Padme and I miss your conversation when you are away.” 

The older Jedi turned Chancellor smiled, “Your Majesty only misses me because her Highness will not allow you to use the Force to read her cards.” 

“That might be true, but I still missed you. Now, introduce me to Reyanna.” 

Kenobi motioned for Reyanna to join him. Still she kept her eyes down, a perfect picture of submission. Crossing swiftly to his side, it was only then she lifted her head. 

Gorgeous. 

Absolutely gorgeous. 

If this was how they were growing women in the Outer Reaches, then perhaps he should have been branching out in his search for bed mates. 

Her face was heart-shaped, her skin clear and golden, tanned from twelve years living on a desert planet. Her lips were plump and reddish, begging for someone to kiss them and her nose was pert, quite unlike Obi-Wan's. He decided that must be from her mother’s side of the family. But it was the eyes that pulled him forward a step. 

Hazel, green with flecks of pure gold, they reflected a young girl with a playful soul and strong heart. Ben felt he could get lost in her eyes for the rest of his life and never learn all the secrets hidden within. Almond shape, they widened as she took in the tall, imposing frame that was his grandfather, Anakin Skywalker. 

Kenobi was talking again, and Ben shook his head to remove the daydreaming. 

“Your Majesties, I am proud yet humbled to introduce the force of nature that is my only grandchild, Reyanna Ellisa Kenobi, Lady of Jakku and betrothed of the Crown Prince Benjamin.” 

Padme grasp both of the girl’s hands within her own, and Ben saw the genuine surprise in the hazel of his betrothed. He wondered why she was then remembered she’d been basically an orphan since the age of ten. 

“Welcome my dear,” Padme pronounced, “we have been waiting for this day for a very long time. Let me look at you.” 

Reyanna turned in a circle as Padme studied her. “Well, a little thin but not too bad considering the harshness of Jakku’s climate. How was your trip?” 

“Excellent, thank you for asking, your Majesty. But please, call me Rey. Reyanna is a little formal for everyday use.” 

Her voice was smooth, with an Inner Core accent that found Ben wondering where she could have picked up out in the wilds. Then she smiled, and her beauty was only multiplied by the happiness that radiated from her like a blast furnace. 

Padme walked Reyanna over to Ben, and the smile disappeared as quickly as it arrived. Her eyes narrowed, and he could feel the anger radiating from her like a wave of pure misery. It ate at his guts. Of course, she knew about his escapades. The fucking entire galaxy knew. It never bothered him before, until this moment. He decided to put off exploring this realization to another time. 

“Rey, this is my husband Anakin Skywalker.” 

His grandfather stopped the girl before she could bow or kneel. 

“Now, now. I was there when you were born. There’s no need to stand on ceremony with me. Obi-Wan and I go back farther than I care to think.” 

“Thank you, your Highness.” 

“No, I’m only King because my wife is Queen. I insist you call me Anakin.” 

She smiled that wonderful brilliance again. “Thank you, Anakin.” 

Padme turned now toward Ben. “And I know you don’t remember, but this is your betrothed, my grandson Benjamin Amidala Skywalker Solo. You may call him Ben, we all do.” 

Her eyes were cold, deadly. Ben decided she was more unhappy about this situation than he’d been led to believe. He watched as a grimace waved across her lips, disappearing into a tight, formal smile. There was no warmth behind her face. Rey held out her hand toward him. 

“It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance again, Prince Benjamin.” 

Was this how it was going to go? Formally addressing each other? Hating each other? 

“My lady, I’m glad to see you. I hope the trip was pleasant?” 

When he took her hand within his own, intending to kiss her fingers rather than shake hands, the world suddenly flopped upside-down. A wave of Force energy pulsated outward from their clasped hands like a blast, as his heart skipped several beats before returning to a slightly higher rate than normal. His head felt as though caught in a steel vise, and he felt emotions that he couldn’t understand, that appeared to be not his own. 

As the constriction around his chest cleared, Ben looked up to see Rey experiencing the same discomforts. No. This couldn’t be. They’d touched before, during the betrothal ceremony. How was this happening? A glance at Padme and Anakin’s faces showed only smug satisfaction on his grandparents’ faces. 

“How wonderful,” his grandmother announced. “Soulmates.” 

The look on Rey’s face was one of pure nausea. Ben understood exactly how she felt.


	4. Getting to Know All About You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter might be a little stronger and darker, but things are going to start getting complicated. Real complicated.

Rey was escorted to her new chambers. Obi-Wan left her in Padme’s hands and retreated somewhere with Anakin. Rey supposed he was tired of her independent attitude and needed a drink. If the truth were to made known, Rey could use one herself. 

Her rooms were bright and airy, looking at the mountains in the distance. Below the private family gardens lay spread out. It had been a long time since she’d seen so much green. After twelve years on Jakku, her eyes were hungry for fresh vistas. She leaned on the balcony railing, glancing over the landscape, so different from the browns and yellows of her home world. She took a deep breath, basking in the cool breeze blowing down from the hills. The feeling of new life surrounded her in the Force and she soaked up its boundless energy. 

Behind her, she could hear the new handmaids she'd been assigned unpacking her trunks and gossiping about the welcoming ceremony and the status of the new soulmates. Rey felt a wave of anger brush across her like a hot flare from a sand dune. The rebounding effect Drea had worried about snapped into her emotions, filling the void with a reminder of her unhappiness with this whole charade. With her shoulders square she marched back into her quarters. 

“I will not tolerate,” she began, “discussions of the Crown Prince within the confines of my rooms. The law gives him the right to make this marriage happen, despite my distaste for him and all he represents. It does not mean I have to listen to any of this drivel. If you cannot keep your opinions to yourselves, then please ask to be reassigned. I do not want to hear any more about this matter.” 

The three women looked at each other with confusion. Two of the girls were obviously related, both had black hair, black eyes, and lightly tan skin. The third had blonde hair tied up in strange braids on either side of her head. The eldest of them, one of the sisters, stepped forward and curtsied. 

“Pardon us, your Highness. It’s just, everyone has been so excited about you arriving and the upcoming wedding, and now to discover the prince and you are soulmates, well, the entire planet is simply abuzz with the news.” 

“What is your name?” Rey tried to curb the bite in her voice but was too angry to truly care. 

“Paige, your Highness. This is my sister Rose, and the blonde is Kaydel.” 

Rey slowly removed her gloves as she quoted to herself, ‘Through power the Force is manifest.’ 

“Well, Paige,” she stressed the girl’s name in mockery. “I am not ‘abuzz’ to share anything. I do not wish to discuss the Crown Prince. I do not wish to discuss the wedding. I do not wish for people to speculate on what happened this morning, nor do I wish to stand here another moment telling SERVANTS to stop gossiping. As I said, if you cannot do your job without all this needless chattering, then you may leave. I have no time for this nonsense.” 

As she spoke, she could see the three all growing whiter and whiter. The younger sister stepped forward. 

“Begging your pardon your Highness. . .” 

“That’s another thing. I am not a Highness. I am only to be addressed as my Lady or your Grace. The rest of this royal nonsense has nothing to do with me.” 

“But you will be the Queen,” the girl implored. 

“Only because there was no other stupid female of marriageable age available. Now leave me in peace, all of you. I suddenly feel the need to either scream or break something.” 

The three hurried to get out of her sight before getting further into trouble. After she was sure she was alone, Rey quickly locked the door and threw herself onto the couch, sobbing so hard it felt her ribs were bruised. In less than a standard Galactic Day, she’d lost her home, her freedom, her lover, and her future. Tomorrow she would put on a new face, drug herself with a sedative, and attempt to face the horror that was now her life. But today was for self-pity, and nothing would drag her out of these rooms. 

Several hours had passed, and the tears refused to abate. Every knock on her door had gone unanswered, and she’d even locked the secret entrance that led from her room to the servant quarters. Her head pounded from lack of food yet her stomach rolled and tumbled from her unhappiness. 

Her new grandparents seemed to be nice. Anakin was a bit tall and strange, but Obi-Wan had told her it was because of the former emperor and his apprentice, Snoke, who had tortured Anakin for information during the wars. Padme was every bit as beautiful as the holos of her Rey studied on Jakku, and the kindness in her eyes told Rey the older woman would be there whatever Rey needed. Except freedom. 

That brought her to the prince, the one person from today she didn’t want to dwell upon. He was taller than she’d imagined, with a classic beauty that reminded her of centuries long gone by. His face was intriguing, with eyes that were entirely too expressive and lips that begged to be kissed. Taken all together with his height and well-built physique, Rey had to concede that Benjamin Solo was very attractive. Then she remembered his behavior, and that concession turned to anger again. 

Frikking nerfherder. 

As the shadows outside began to lengthen, a quiet knock on the door broke her latest crying jag. She ignored it as she had done all the rest, but when she heard the lock click open, she knew Obi-Wan had come to force her to play nice. 

“I don’t want to.” 

“Reyanna, you haven’t even heard what I was about to say.” 

“You were going to say I’m being childish, you expected better, and I need to come be sociable.” 

“There is no need to lock yourself in here to broadcast your unhappiness, grandchild. Your misery is screaming through the Force, visible to anyone with the slightest amount of sensitivity. You’re angry. You hate me. You hate him. You want to go home. That about cover things?” 

“You forgot I didn’t want or agree to this marriage, nor will I allow that male harlot to darken my door. Did you make that clear to the king and queen? That I would rather die a virgin than allow him to touch me?” 

“No, I have not. I keep hoping that I can convince you to have a more open mind?” 

At that Rey burst into laughter that rapidly dissolved to more tears. Big ugly, shoulders shaking sobs that she could not stop even though she could see Obi-Wan close his eyes in disappointment. Pulling Rey into his arms, he simply held her and rocked as she let the waterworks have their time. 

“Reyanna, I know this isn’t what you expected. But I promise you it isn’t the end of your life. I will still be here, and Padme and Anakin won’t let him run roughshod over you. You’ll still be able to train, in addition to your royal obligations.” 

She lifted her eyes, misery on every line of her face. “I hate him. And I hate you for bringing me here, forcing me to do this.” 

At her words, she saw his face break. Rey had never been open to any of her family about her feelings, and now she was vomiting all her vitriol onto the one person who truly didn’t deserve her wrath. 

Sitting up, she wiped her tears and stared off into space. 

“All I ever wanted was to be free,” she whispered, more to herself than to Obi-Wan. 

“Reyanna, this isn’t a death sentence. .” 

“Isn’t it?” she challenged him. “To have to share a bed with a man who treats women like rags to be used and thrown away? To be forced to smile and act like everything in my life is happy and gay? To act in public as though I like him when in truth, I’d like to take my saber to his face? If this isn’t a death sentence then send me back to Jakku, break the betrothal. Make everyone happy.” 

“No, you know I cannot do that. Already the banns have been published and the dressmakers have started on your wedding dress.” Obi-Wan pushed Rey away from him and his eyes were even and distant. 

“Reyanna, you will marry Ben and you will put aside this foolish anger. All it does is open you to dark forces. You will participate in everything you are scheduled for and you will do it with a smile. Do you understand me?” 

“Get out,” she hissed at her grandfather. 

“What?” he asked in disbelief. 

“GET OUT! I don’t want to SEE your face! GET OUT!!” 

Rey began Force throwing things at Obi-Wan, her shrieks growing louder with each smash against the floor or wall. She knew she was out of control but didn’t care. When it became apparent her grandfather wasn’t going to leave, she turned abruptly and raced for the balcony, leaping over the edge, aiming for the gardens more than sixty feet below. 

She barely heard Obi-Wan's frantic voice as she landed lightly and rolled to stop her momentum. Once in the grass, she broke into a full run, headed for the front gates. Perhaps if she could leave the palace grounds, she could find someplace to hide in the city. Soon she ran into a solitary guard, and she crept up behind the unsuspecting footman. 

“You will hand me your cloak, give me directions to the closest tavern, and return to your duty.” The quiet whisper of Alsamt purred in his ear. 

“I will hand you my cloak, give you directions to the Wounded Boar, and return to my duty,” he murmured in a flat bewitched tone. 

Once she had what she needed, Alsamt whispered to her victim again, “You will forget this conversation ever happened.” Then she blew quickly across his face. 

As she slid into the shadows, the guard blinked twice then returned to his assigned path. Rey smirked as she vaulted over the castle walls and passed into the crowd, covered by the hooded cloak. Glancing at faces, she assumed today must be a holiday. There were too many children for a normal weekday, and the pace of life seemed slower than she knew would normally occur in a city this size. 

Reaching her destination, Rey glanced around behind her to make sure she hadn’t been followed. Satisfied, she pushed through the door into the dark tavern. 

******** 

Ben waited in the drawing room with his grandparents for Obi-Wan to return with Rey. It was obvious to him and Anakin that the girl was furious with the situation, and who could blame her? Orphaned and basically abandoned to be raised by an extreme militaristic arm of the Jedi? Forced to wed an admitted womanizer? Who was a relative to Darth Vader? No, he rationalized, if the shoe were on the other foot, he’d be livid himself. 

But when Kenobi returned from her rooms without her, shouting for her Blood Guard, he knew that buzzing sensation he’d felt in the back of his mind wasn’t his own irritation, it was the girl’s. 

Apparently, Rey took a running leap off her balcony, more than 70 feet above the gardens below, and had disappeared. Fighting the nausea Ben now felt as a by-product of their new bond, he took his leave of his grandparents and then grabbed Armitage and pulled him along after Obi-Wan. 

“Your Highness, what are we doing?” Hux groused. 

“Sshh. Something is up. Just be quiet and come with me.” 

Obi-Wan met with two of Rey’s cadre. Ben pulled himself into the shadows of a statue and listened closely. 

“Cassabian, Kez, our wind has blown right out the window and over the palace walls. Go find her before she starts a riot in the middle of Theed!” 

“Consider it handled, you Grace.” 

As Obi-Wan went left, the two guards went right. Ben grabbed Hux’s arm again and made to follow the guards. 

“What are we doing Benjamin?” 

Ben pulled Hux close. 

“The girl took a running leap off her balcony into the gardens and has escaped into the city. Those two have been dispatched to bring her back. I want to see what she’s up to.” 

Hux glared at him closely. 

“You can sense her, through the bond?” 

Ben nodded as they continued into the gardens. His tuned his ears to the guards in front of him as they approached a palace guard. 

“You, footman, have you see a girl run past here?” The older one, who Obi-Wan named Kez asked the soldier while pulling his light saber. 

“No.” 

The other man cocked his head. 

“Shukush, he has no cloak. Who ever heard of a guard walking duty without a cloak?” 

“You are correct Munajil. Read him.” 

Munajil, who was Cassabian apparently, placed his fingertips on the guard’s forehead. The man’s eyes went white and Munajil reported back. 

“She took his cloak, asked for directions to a tavern, then blanked him.” 

“Alsamt is hunting to blunt her pain. We must stop her.” 

The men hurried toward the gate, Ben and Hux right behind them. As they turned the last corner, the two Blood Guard were waiting for them. 

“Why do you follow us, boy Prince?” Shukush held his light saber as a challenged in front of Ben’s chest. 

“You’re following Rey. I want to go with you.” 

“Why, spoiled Prince?” 

Ben shrugged. “I want to know more about her. I want to meet the girl who can survive a seventy-foot fall.” 

Munajil snorted as he holstered his saber. “She’s fallen from farther than that. Rey is tough, one of the toughest I’ve ever trained alongside. Why do you really want to go?” 

“Because life around here is boring, and she’s new and this is exciting. Why not go?” 

Shukush pressed closer to Ben, his grey eyes flashing with anger. “Alsamt is not a toy, little mouse. Go back to your perfumed whores and let us do our job. We guard the Lady, not the Boy.” 

He glared at the two guards. With his voice low and commanding, Ben let the other side of his personality seep forth. A strong Force user in his own right, Ben played down his abilities to keep himself off the radar of both Snoke and Darth Vader. Now however, he was tired of these desert thieves assaulting him and his life. 

“I. Am. No. Boy.” he hissed at the two Blood Guard, pulling the grey light of the blended Force around him life an old friend. “Do not confuse the quiet man currently permitting his grandparents their indulgence for the true Ben Solo, for you will find the two bear little in common. The Lady in question is to be my wife. I do not like explaining myself, but for the sake of our common goal of protecting her even from herself and you, I will spell this out. Pay attention. 

“While I appreciate that you and Reyanna have been together for quite some time, she is still to be mine. I know I have a lot of work to do, but I will not tolerate interference even from those who profess to know her the best. The way I see this happening is you follow my companion and me to the Wounded Boar, which is the tavern where Rey was headed. We are well known there. Once inside, we need to surround the Lady on all four sides and get her the hell out of there before word leaks out that she is in the city unescorted.” 

The two men exchanged glances with each other, then nodded imperceptibly. Munajil spit at the ground then demanded, “Why should Rey not wander among the people she it to rule? Are there truths you do not wish known about life here on Naboo?” 

Hux chuckled at that question. The two guards looked at him cautiously. The red-head's eye widened. “Do you not know who Ben’s uncle is? Anakin and Padme’s other child?” 

They both shook their heads. 

“Have you perhaps heard of Darth Vadar?” 

****** 

Rey wrapped the stolen cloak tighter around her as she sat with her back against the corner wall, watching life in the tavern happen around her. On the table was her half-finished glass, from which she took occasional sips. Mostly, she listened to the winds, listened for whispers of the one she needed, the one she was assigned. With a wedding happening soon, which would unite three planetary systems under one family, bringing people together to celebrate and congregate, Rey felt certain the First Order would make an appearance in some fashion. 

She needed to be ready. 

In the short time she’d been in the tavern she had listened to three promising items. 

The first was that a Star Destroyer was rumored to be on its way from the Outer Wastes to Naboo and would arrive in time for the wedding. 

The second was the new Princess was secretly a decoy, and the true betrothed of the Prince would only arrive in time for the wedding. 

The third was the last mistress of the Prince hadn’t left Naboo for Yavin IV but was sequestered in a house in Theed and would appear at the wedding to claim the prince for her own by declaring herself with royal child. 

Rey was uncertain was to which upset her the most, and that surprised her. 

A Star Destroyer would almost certainly mean the First Order, possibly Snoke, and almost certainly Darth Vadar. That would make completing her task sinfully easy. If Luke Skywalker were to come within a solar system of Rey, she knew without question she could end him, count her first coup. But it would mean killing Anakin and Padme’s son. Could she do that to them, know that she’d met them and been called family?” 

As to rumors of her beauty or lack thereof, Rey had no opinion. She’d never studied herself against other women, as the only other women she’d ever been around were Drea and Shaana. Both were older, more desert worn, so Rey hadn’t hoped for much other than her skin to not wrinkle as badly. 

But to know one of those harlots still walked the streets brought her blood to seething, and that was the question to which she had no answer. The best she could surmise, it had to be the soulmate thing. All day she’d had the growing sensation of someone else sharing her space. A stranger pilfering through her thoughts, plucking on her emotions. Perhaps it was Benjamin’s anger toward the whore she was feeling, not that she might actually care about anything to do with that asshole. 

What? 

~"You think I’m an asshole?"~

THAT, was definitely not her voice in her mind. 

Jerking her attention back to the present, it took a moment to register the four men standing around her, hemming her in, preventing her from running. 

Cassabian. 

Kez. 

A strange red-head. 

And Him. 

Rey groaned and knocked her head against the wall. This day just kept getting worse and worse.


	5. Temporary  Truce

“How the fuck did you find me?” 

Ben smiled at her language. The Lady had no problems expressing herself. 

“Next time you want a drink, ask. I’ll be glad to provide a proper escort. It’s much too dangerous right now for you to be wandering around the city without backup.” 

That brought her to laughter, her brilliant smile lighting up the corner of the room. The two Blood Guard chuckled along with her. It angered him, feeling as if he were the butt of some joke he didn’t understand. 

“Trust me Prince, I am the most dangerous thing in this city.” 

He raised an eyebrow. “You do realize who is my grandfather?” 

Rey shrugged. “I could take him.” 

Ben smirked. “I bet you could sweetheart. But now it’s time to get back to the palace before my grandmother calls out the army to find you. Like I said, next time ask before you take a swan dive off the balcony.” 

Holding out his hand for her, he saw the indecision on her face before she took the offered limb and let him pull her from the table. Placing that same hand on the small of her back, Ben began steering her out of the tavern, the other three falling into formation behind. No one stopped them, and Ben couldn’t feel any other sensitives in the place. 

When they emerged, dark had fallen and the streets were much emptier. Steering her toward a dark section of the walls, they slipped easily through the secret dispatch tunnel and onto the palace grounds. Within moments they were at the kitchen door. 

Rey frowned at him when he seated her at the counter as he pulled bread, meat, cheese, and fresh fruit together onto a small tray. 

“What’s that for?” 

“You missed dinner.” 

“Oh.” Ben could hear the wheels turning in her head. 

He turned to the two guards. “Her Ladyship is back safe. Thank you, gentlemen. I will make sure their Majesties know of your fine work tonight. I will see her returned safely to her rooms. You are excused.” 

Both men glanced at Rey for confirmation. She nodded, and they bowed once to her then retired for the night. Ben held the tray in one hand, and a carafe of sweet milk in the other. 

“Could I bother you to open the door for us?” 

She walked closer, examining his eyes. He could feel her Force signature wrapping around his, looking for the chinks in his armor. He smirked, knowing she wouldn’t find any. She might be powerful, perhaps even a match for himself. If so, she would need a teacher to show her how to hide that strength, to evade the real monster in the family, his uncle. 

The fallen Jedi, Luke Skywalker, now known as Darth Vader, apprentice to Sith Lord and self-proclaimed Supreme Leader of the First Order Alastor Snoke. 

They made their way to her chambers, talking about various painting or other pieces of art located along the route. By the time they reached her door, Ben was beginning to get a sense of who Reyanna Kenobi was deep inside. Not a warrior, not a desert rat, but a lonely girl trapped in an adult’s game and desperate to find a safe harbor in an unfamiliar land. For some reason, Ben found himself wanting to be that harbor. 

She led him into her sitting room, and he placed the food on her table. 

“Well, if that’s all my Lady, then I will see you tomorrow I suppose.” 

Her mouth was twisted in thought. “Why?” 

“Why what?” 

“Why the need for me to return? I’ve survived through events that would strip sanity from your mind and leave you drooling on the floor. What would happen to me in your city that brought such fear to your eyes’ tonight?” 

Ben reached out and took both her hands in his. Pulled her close, until he could count the flecks of gold in her eyes. Eyes that were wide with deep, turbulent emotions. 

She wanted him. 

She hated him. 

She hated herself. 

But by the gods, she wanted him. 

He also knew she’d rather be tortured than admit it. So, he decided to play her game, call her bluff, lay all the cards on the table and see if she blinked. 

Leaning his head close to her ear, trapping her hands between them, he whispered, 

“I want you to want me like I want you.” 

He waited for the crack of her hand against her cheek but it never came. He met her eyes and smiled to himself at the seething mass of emotions he saw reflected there. Strangely her mind was quiet and he decided she’d raised shields against an intrusion by him. 

Deciding not to push any further, he stepped back from her, releasing her hands as he moved away. 

“On that note, good night my Lady. Hopefully tomorrow you will join us for breakfast? I know Nana Padme is begging for your company. Not too many females in our family for her to fuss over, so she’s in full female mode. Also, my parents will be arriving from Alderaan in a week. That gives us time to go over everyone and all the incredibly fucked up members of the Skywalker Solo family.” 

He leaned over a gently kissed the side of her neck. 

“Good night, Rey.” 

“Good night, Prince.” 

“My name is Ben, Alsamt.” 

Her eyes jerked at the mention of her Qadal name, typically kept hidden from outsiders. He could see the panic in them, and put his hands on her arms to soothe her. 

“No, no. I have no intention of commanding you by knowing your name. I didn’t earn it in battle, I heard your cadre talking together using your names, all of you.” 

He let the unspoken threat hang in the air, that he could turn them to his will using her as his bargaining chip. 

Her face set itself into a mask. The mask she would probably wear from now until the day the ice between them thawed. Passive indifference. 

“Good night, Ben.” 

She didn’t spit the name at him. 

He found he missed it. 

****** 

Cassabian and Kez were sparring in the training facility the royal family had given over to their use. Both men were filled with anger, at themselves as well as Rey, and needed to release the pent-up rage of days of inaction. 

Each was covered in sweat. Blood smeared on their bodies from dozens of cuts from their knives and neither appeared winded or fatigued. 

“Stupid girl. Darth Vadar. Who does she think she is?” 

“There is talk. They are coming. The Order.” 

“I heard.” 

Back and forth they went, until both decided it was enough. They parted, bowed as they were taught, then dropped their fighting auras and returned to themselves. Grabbing towels and bottles of water, they sat on the benches and rested themselves. 

Kez broke the silence. 

“It gets better. The ache grows smaller. One day you will notice there is nothing left. No hole, no ache, but nothing appears to grow to replace it. It’s just an empty spot that is always there.” 

“Did she leave you?” Cassabian asks with a whisper. “Your bond, did she find her soulmate?” 

“No.” Kez’s grey eyes went hard and cold. “She died.” 

“Oh. I’m so sorry.” 

“You grow used to it eventually. But you’re young. I’m too old to find a soulmate. Besides, your bond with Alsamt was a protection bond. Nothing like the bond between soulmates. Not as binding though the pain is equal.” 

Cass stared at the wall, his eyes turned inward to memories that no longer existed, a whisper of something, a brush of blood and roses. All of it ripped away from him in the span of moments, leaving him broken and bloody, realizing that in removing Rey’s memories and restoring her innocence the Elders had to remove his own to maintain the balance in the Force. He felt violated and angry, a mirror of Rey herself. Luckily, she’d bonded with the fucking Prince. He was wandering lost and blind in a new country. What was he to do? 

Sure, Kez understood removing a bond. But Kez was a hard man since the loss of his wife Lyra. Was he a mirror of what Cass was to become? 

Back in his quarters, Cass stripped and threw himself into the shower, standing under the refreshing cool water and pondering if he should stay with the cadre he’d devoted his life to for the past ten years or if he should ask the Elders for a reassignment. Perhaps pick up a new trainee and start at the beginning again. Make all new mistakes. 

Anything to get that damn hole out of his heart. 

After dinner he met with the other seven Blood Guard. 

“I find myself unable to reconcile with the removal of the training bond, so I have elected to leave until such time as I can handle this situation.” 

Drea paced their living room, hands clasp behind her back, “She’s going to shit loth-cats when you leave Cass. How do we get her past that pain?” 

“I don’t know,” the Endoran whispered. “I don’t know but I’m leaving now. I managed to catch a ride off planet back home. I’ll ask the Elders for a new assignment, maybe deep space for a while, come to terms with this reality.” 

“What do we tell Alsamt?” 

His eyes hardened into chips of black ice. “She’ll know why.” 

Hours later he was at the astro-port, looking for berth 2187. Arriving he pressed the call button. Moments later he heard the servos whirring as the doors cycled open. The man in the hallway fit the description of the freelance pilot, Poe Dameron. Recommended by Hux, the pilot was apparently available to the highest bidder. 

Dameron wasn’t overly tall, with curly black hair, deep brown eyes and desert brown skin. When he smiled, the bright white teeth gleamed at Cassabian, putting him on guard. He was looking for a pilot, not a fashion model. The man would do for his purposes. 

They agreed upon a price and a departure time, and Cassabian moved on-board to help with departure duties. 

As he left Naboo in the distance, the hole in his soul pulsed with repressed pain. 

****** 

When morning came, Rey opened her eyes to an unfamiliar room. It took a moment to remember this was her new home. Her new forever. 

As a whole, the suite wasn’t bad. It was simply cold and impersonal. She needed to find her own voice, make this her salon. Lost in her thoughts, she jumped when the door opened and the servant Rose stuck her head around. 

“Begging your pardon, my Lady. The Prince has asked you to breakfast with him in the gardens.” 

“Come in, Rose was it? I promise I won’t bite again.” 

A small twist of a smile crossed the girl’s face, and Rey felt the uncomfortable pang of guilt slid into her heart. 

“Rose, I must apologize to you and the others for yesterday. This is a situation I never deemed would actually happen, and I find myself in the uncomfortable position of entering into life with a stranger. Not just a stranger, but one whose beliefs and actions are diametrically opposed to everything I hold as truths.” 

The girl nodded, sympathy beginning to dawn on her face. “Of course, my Lady. This must be extremely hard for you. If you don’t mind my asking, how old are you my Lady? The palace has managed to keep most of the details about you and your background charmingly vague.” 

“Seventeen. I was raised as an orphan by the Church of the Force from the age of ten until a week ago. Before that I lived on Jakku in Niima Outpost with my parents. After the massacre I was hidden by the Church to protect me from the First Order.” 

“I’m sorry my Lady, this must seem a different universe from Jakku.” 

Rey shrugged her shoulders and stood up from the bed. “All is as the Force wills it. Now, please respond to the Prince I would be glad to break our fast together. I need thirty minutes.” 

“Yes, my Lady.” 

The girl departed, and Rey opened the door to her closet. Most of the clothes hanging there were dresses, everything from morning gowns to ball gowns, including a few riding habits and training clothes. 

Ignoring the dresses, Rey chose a pair of cream-colored leather leggings with a tan camisole and off-white tunic. Knee-high low-heeled boots completed the ensemble. Taking the hair brush from the top of the dresser, she began working on the knots in the chestnut locks. At that moment, the three handmaids returned, one with a pot of tea, the other two with what appeared to be a dress and headpiece. 

“What is that?” Rey snickered at the silky creation and the worthless silk slippers. 

“Her Majesty, the Queen, sent this for you to wear for the official portraits this afternoon.” Paige wasn’t shaking, but Rey could sense the young woman was still smarting from the previous afternoon’s temper tantrum. 

“Hmph, if her Majesty likes it, she should wear it. I don’t wear dresses. Too impractical for movement. I refuse to lose my life because Queen Padme wants me in a dress.” 

“Very well, my Lady. I will ask the Queen if there might be a suitable outfit which allows for better movement.” 

“Paige, did Rose tell you and Kaydel how deeply I regret what I said yesterday. I know better than to take out my frustrations on those who aren’t deserving, but this entire comedy has me thinking too fast, speaking without forethought. I’m sorry.” 

“That’s all right, my Lady. You appear to be grieving in many ways, and we shouldn’t have brushed into your privacy. But may we at least style your hair? While I can’t be certain the area will be without witnesses, we always want you to look composed, no matter what your attire.” 

“What is wrong with my attire?” Rey glanced down. She appeared comfortable and relaxed, how else was one supposed to look? 

“You’re wearing pants, my Lady.” 

“I always wear pants. You cannot fight, or ride, or run in a dress.” 

The three girls exchanged glances between themselves. 

“My Lady,” Kaydel began, “you will be the Queen one day. The entire system will pay close attention to what you wear and the causes that you champion. In the desert perhaps it is common for the young women to wear pants, but on Naboo pants are only observed as loungewear.” 

“Loungewear?” 

“Pajamas? Clothes you sleep in?” 

Rey looked at them with her eyes wide, “You wear clothes to sleep?” 

All three blushed various shades of red. Paige whispered, “What do you wear to sleep, my Lady?” 

Shrugging, Rey stated plainly, “Usually nothing, or just my undergarments. It is easier and means less to carry on your sand pony. The lighter, the faster.” 

Kay rolled her eyes and giggled. “Oh, my Lady, you are going to be the best thing that ever happened to this family.” 

“What do you mean?” 

“Let’s just say, they need someone to light a fire under them again. They’re so busy trying to make the galaxy forget that Darth Vadar came from this nest of maniacs.” 

Rey had to smile at that. 

She sat at the dressing table and allowed the youngest sister, Rose, to braid her hair while Kaydel put a sunscreen on her face. Apparently while her freckles were cute, they were considered unusual here on Naboo. Women usually stayed indoors, taking care of their families. Rey didn’t understand how even one of the three Families involved in this transaction could think she would fit into this highly masculine society. 

At last the maids pronounced her prepared to face outside, and she opened the door to find Drea and Zain her guards for the morning. Both wore their faces in to polite blankness the Qadal required them to master. A blank canvas shows no secrets, only the possibilities. 

The Prince was already waiting the rose garden, his back to her entrance. She smiled to herself, thinking how easy it would be to take him unawares, to sneak in like the sudden breeze from the ocean and wipe him from the surface, dragging him along in her wake. 

~Thinking murderous thoughts on an empty stomach is bad for your digestion. ~ 

Her face remained quiet while she composed a rational answer. 

“I dislike someone in my mind without my consent. It borders on the Dark Side.” 

“And what you do doesn’t?” 

“I do what I have to do to survive. I have had no one but myself, therefore I trust no one except myself.” 

“What about your cadre?” 

“They know me best but they do not know the depths of my midnight. Do you, Benjamin Solo?” 

She watched him reach out his hand toward her face, his deep brown eyes, sinking into her mind, asking silently to look for her answer. She closed her eyes and nodded. Painlessly, or at least as painless as possible, Ben sank through the level of her mind, picking up little tidbits that would allow him to more fully construct a picture of who Rey truly was. 

“Yes, I think I do, Reyanna Kenobi. I see the island, the ocean, I see you, so needing to sleep yet so afraid to close your eyes. What do you fear little fury?” 

“Loss, my Prince. Loss of freedom, loss of self.” 

“I don’t want you to lose yourself. I want us to become the most we can be together. Grow together and learn together. Find our way into the future with our eyes wide open and clear. Today, after breakfast we shall meditate together. Then after lunch we will train, and you will show me what you have learned from the Qadal.” 

Rey cocked her head at him. 

“At some point I need to find my grandfather and apologize for my treatment of him yesterday. I’m afraid I might have thrown him out of my rooms.” 

“Actually threw him?” 

Her blush was brilliant red. 

“Yes. Am I horrible?” 

“No. I’d say your reactions are probably exactly as they should be, given the circumstances. I’m certain I’m not who you imagined spending your life mated with, let alone soulmates.” 

“How could you use women as you have? Did you feel no shame?” 

Rey was being honest, she couldn’t understand. Other than the few times she’d been to town and seen the brothels with their lewd displays of flesh and sin, she knew little of the drives between men and women. She knew the mechanics, of course, but even now her limited experience gave her no indication sex was something to seek out at all costs. 

Ben coughed. “Well going straight for the throat on the first day. Is this an example of how everyday will start, my Lady? With you enumerating my faults?” 

“No, I only wish to have an answer to that question. That answer determines what any other question or answer might become.” 

“Such as?” 

“The wrong answer will keep things between us at a distance for quite some time. The right answer will earn you the right to ask your own question of me. That’s the way the game is played.” 

“What if I choose not to play, to simply take what I want?” 

She emptied her glass and stood from her seat. Wandering behind Ben’s back she leaned over, breathing into his ear, spinning her magic.” 

“You can try. Tell me the name of the whore who lives, then forget this conversation happened.” Alsamt pitched her voice to make the Force pull Ben to her will, just as she had the footman. To her amazement, he began to laugh, a deep, resonant tone that make her clothes feel too tight. 

“Don’t try to use mind tricks on me, little fury. It won’t work. But as to the answer to your question, the women were to alleviate the loneliness. Being an only child is hard. Being a royal only child is isolating. And when you feel insecure about who you are and how you look, women throwing themselves at you is a heady thing. But now I know it is a bad thing. I was never forced to examine my behavior until our bonding. I feel how my actions have hurt you, and I’m so, so sorry.” 

His eyes were brimming with deep emotions that Rey didn’t want to examine to closely. She knew anyone could see the same conflicts in her own. She didn’t know this man, yet the mere touch of his hands made her feel safe and adored. It was confusing. It made her feel incapable of completing her mission, of becoming the Assassin she was trained to be. 

They moved to the center of the garden, seating themselves facing each other and began to meditate. In no time, their Force signatures began to intertwine, melding together. Balancing and strengthening the soul mate bond. 

She saw his past, the lonely little boy with few playmates, always expected to be the heir to two great kingdoms. Who was ignored and raised by nannies and governesses while his parents and grandparents waged war across the galaxy. 

Who just might be as lonely as a little girl raised in the desert to bring peace through strength of arms. 

When they opened their eyes again and looked at one another, Rey felt a band snap into place inside her head and she felt the surge of his need, quickly tempered with amazement and love. She soon realized the bond was opening further, allowing each to learn about the other’s hidden desires and dreams. In a panic she tried to back away only to find his power keeping her tight to his mind. 

“Don’t be afraid,” he murmured. “I feel it too.” 

Frightened at his power, afraid of falling too fast and getting hurt by the admitted womanizer before her, Rey retreated and broke clear of his embrace, running for the safety of her rooms. But not before seeing the vision the Force decided to show her what Ben’s thoughts were hiding. Her face burst into full blush at the pacing glimpse of them, nude, Ben devouring her like a dying man as she writhed in pleasure beneath him. 

Shivering, she hid behind the security of her door, frightened. Never before, even with the Elders, had she been able to share a vision with another. It would appear that Ben Solo’s Force abilities were at least on a level with her own, though he’d been trained in a vastly different method than she. Unsure of her legs, she cautiously made her way across the room, grasping onto the furniture to keep from falling to her knees. 

What the hell did he just do to her?


	6. Avoidance isn't Acceptance

Ben noticed she ate lunch in her room, alone. A quick glance through the bond showed him she was confused and that made her angry. Rey didn’t like puzzles with no answer. Plus he’d noticed she had a strange relationship with food, and he wondered again about how the Qadal raised their novices. Her thin frame bordered on emaciated, and she looked at the abundance of water on Naboo with a look that reminded him of the devout at worship. So much he’d always taken for granted she was seeing for the first time, and feeling that joy through the bond was exhilarating. Life seemed brighter than it had for a long time. 

She came to the training room with the other two women from her cadre, Drea and Shaana. But it was her state of dress that brought him up short and for a moment he thought perhaps this wasn’t the wisest of ideas. 

Her hair with braided tight against her scalp, and she had in her hand a mask and cowl similar to a breather suit, used for deep space mining. Around her chest was a simple breast band, and she wore a short leather skirt slit on both hips for ease of movement. Underneath he saw a linen under short. No shoes, her long legs tanned and bare. Her golden skin on display for too many people, he fumed under his breath at her youthful ignorance. 

In her right hand was a saber staff, which he assumed could be split into two single sabers. Perfect weapon for a sand fighter. Not great for his own style, so something needed to adjust. He wasn’t comfortable with hand to hand; not sure he could stop himself were he to get the girl underneath him. 

Then she smiles at him, and it’s one of those real smiles that make the entire room light up with her power. She’s glad to see him, or about to kill him, honestly, he hasn’t figured her out that well, but here in the training room they are equals in the Force, if not in physical stature. 

“Are you ready, Ben?” The emphasis she puts on his name makes him smile, knowing how it pains her to be so intimate. Names are important to the Qadal, those trained like Rey usually have at least three. Since he knows two of hers, the third must be a soul mate name. That means he will only find it through their bond, just as she will soon learn his, Kylo. It is the name which will be theirs alone, a call through space and time no matter the circumstances, to bring their souls into alignment. 

“Always, little fury. Do you want to warm up?” 

Stretching out, he watches her bend and flex. What she lacks in size she more than makes up for in speed and agility. He calculates their match to be about even. 

Watching her pace around him, like a cat stalking its prey, he finds himself enjoying the game for the first time. Her staff is quick and balanced, and she can adapt to varying terrain with ease and grace. Rey’s attunement to the Force is breath-taking, and their dance feels as if they’ve done this together for a thousand lifetimes. 

Neither seems to gain too much on the other, first favoring one side then the other. From the corner of his sight, Ben can see the other Blood Guard lining up to watch them spar, as well as Hux and a few others he’s known since his days at Academy. But mainly his entire focus is consumed with the girl before him. She pushes him to be better without even realizing she can, and the Light that flows from her is brilliant with a small taste of chaotic neutral. 

He isn’t sure how long they’ve been at it, but he feels Rey’s growing sense of uncertainty. She’s never had to fight this hard to win, so when she splits her lavender saber staff into two independent sabers of white and deep purple, he knows he has her right where he wants. 

With Ben’s size, his reach lends to a fighting style that is brutal and forward at all times, never allowing for respite, and Rey is tiring. He can feel it leaking through the bond. Any moment, she’s going to stumble, and the game will be over. 

Sure enough, he sees through the Force her mistake, landing on the side of her foot on a seam of the floor. It throws her off balance for only a moment, but it is long enough for him to disarm her of both sabers, pulling her close, her back to his chest while his dagger circles her neck. 

“I believe the victory is mine, little fury.” Ben is panting from exertion and desire. 

“You would have joined me in death,” she manages to get out, and Ben feels a small pressure in his groin. Looking down, he sees her small knife pressed to his cock. 

A sudden applause breaks out from around the room, and they both jump apart. Neither were aware of the show they’d provided to half the officer corps who’d been present when the session began. 

“Thank you for the match, Ben. It was quite educational.” 

He looks at Rey, and freezes. 

She’s a wreck. He’s not exactly sure why but she’s trembling and shivering like she’d been stranded on Hoth. Her eyes are darting around the room, searching for an exit, an escape route, a way to leave before she falls apart. 

At that moment, someone comes through the doors and the movement breaks the spell and Rey is running, as fast as she can out the door and away from him. 

In his mind, he can feel her emotions. 

Uncertainty. 

Desire. 

Attraction. 

Fear. 

Questions. 

So many questions. 

“Go after her,” the quiet voice at his side shakes him from his daydreaming. 

Much to his surprise, it is Kez. Shakush, the Hammer of the Force he’d come to discover, looking up the names he’d heard that night in the garden. 

“What?” 

The man shrugged. “Alsamt is still a child, my Prince. She doesn’t know her own mind yet, much less comprehend what this soul mate bond is about. The protection bond she shared with Cassabian wasn’t anything like what the two of you have. She’s in untested sands, and she’s scared. While she might act the grown-up, in many ways, she a lot younger than seventeen.” 

Ben got hung up on something the man said. 

“She had a bond with the guard who left?” 

“The Church Elders created it after her parents were murdered, to keep her safe from the First Order, keep them from knowing where she was. When she was called home, it was removed and Cassabian sent back to Jakku to his next assignment.” 

“So the First Order knows where she is now?” 

The man stared at him with an amused expression. 

“The whole galaxy knows where she is, your Highness.” 

“Why is the First Order so interested in Rey?” 

The man appeared to be chewing on the inside of his mouth. Ben huffed impatiently. 

“I command you in the name of my wife, tell me.” 

“Darkness rises, and Light to meet it.” 

Ben huffed in displeasure. “That old prophecy? Does that make me the Dark?” 

Kez took a deep breath. “We have a different tale in the Deep Desert. Of the fall of the Dark at the hands of the Light, and of a galaxy at peace through the balance of grey. You and my Lady pull from both sides as needed, but Darth Vader uses only the Dark Side as does Snoke. Remove them, and the First Order will collapse upon itself.” 

“It is treason to say such things,” Ben murmured. 

“It is unnatural to not desire freedom. That is what drives Alsamt. If you can love her yet let her have that freedom her soul requires, then she is yours for eternity. Lock her up, break her trust, and a thousand galaxy could not protect you from her rage. There is a reason she is the silence among us. Like a deadly wind from the Deep Desert she can scour a man’s soul and shred his mind. But her kindness is a deep well that never seems to run dry, once it is earned.” 

“What happened that night in Niima? Where you there?” 

“I was among the first to arrive after the monsters left. Nothing was left standing. Fire swept through the town driven by hot winds, and the bodies that lay everywhere were incinerated before we could even identify them. Then out of the well house came little Reyanna, her hair on fire as well as the shift covering her thin body. She was in and out of this world for months before the healers were certain she would survive. 

“The Elders were convinced Vadar would return for her, the only witness to his slaughter of innocents. That caused extreme measures to be taken. Many argued against a protection bond, but the memory of Niima Outpost was too fresh. Now here we are. She is your soul mate. Without that hedge of protection around her mind, the nightmare of what she endured might return. Are you prepared for that young Prince?” 

“What kind of nightmares?” 

“Of dying at the hand of Darth Vadar.” 

***** 

Obi-Wan sat in front of Anakin and Padme’s desk, re-reading the holopad for the twentieth time, hoping some of the wording would change. 

“How certain are we of this information?” 

Anakin ran his hand through his hair, a gesture the Crown Prince was also known to affect, especially when stressed and this news was stress inducing to say the least. 

The First Order had vanished into hyperspace, apparently headed in their direction. The Supreme Leader Snoke and Darth Vadar were headed toward Naboo, supposedly for the upcoming wedding. Obi-Wan had a sinking feeling it was more, much more than that. Now that Reyanna had thrown her Force signature into the winds, he’d been dreading this moment. 

They are coming to finish the job. To kill Reyanna. To erase the balance. 

Darth Vadar is coming for her, again.


	7. Targets

She locked herself in her fresher, hands pressed to her cheeks to calm the burning she could feel as they fought. The bond wriggled under her attempts to push down the emotions Ben Solo raised and for the first time since arriving, Rey didn’t know what to do. Worse, there was no one she could talk to about this situation, no one who would understand why this terrified her to the depths of her soul, filled with crippling doubts and half-remembered nightmares. 

Rey wanted her mother. 

In the past seven years there had been few times when Rey felt the loss of her mother so deeply, she’d actually cried to the Force to allow them a connection, but all that ever answered was the wind, blowing a faint scent of a memory that she couldn’t quite grasp. Each time before these low points happened, Cassabian had been there to pull her back from her own poor impulses, but for the first time she was alone. Alone, and more confused than she’d felt since childhood. 

At times like these, Rey liked to organize her thoughts before making any decisions, so she turned on the water waiting patiently for the temperature to adjust. She smiled at the simple delight of a water shower. Growing up in the desert she’d heard of these, but couldn’t begin to imagine how much water it would take to run such a marvelous invention. How quickly she was losing her desert way of thinking. 

Stepping inside, she stood under the cascading droplets and let her mind open to the multitude of feelings Ben caused her. First of all, he was infuriating, as if he’d made it his life’s mission to champion the opposite of whatever she said. The accompanying smirk would one day prove to push her too far, she could see it coming. So what if he were ten years older. It didn’t mean her life experiences weren’t a better education than his fancy books. 

But then he had looked at her with more respect after their sparring match. He was a graceful fighter, moving that mountain of a body with all the sinew and muscle of an apex predator, such as a wolf or bear, and the intensity in his eyes drove into her core making her question her decision, to doubt her ability to win against his mass. It was an edgy feeling, not one she was entirely comfortable with and she knew he could sense it. 

Her second issue. 

Rey found herself increasingly wondering what it would be like to kiss him, to feel those hands on her flesh and to rake hers across his pale body. 

It was distracting and entirely unwanted. Even though she knew it was a physiological response it wasn’t the one she wanted to send. She wanted him to know of her dislike for him, wanted him to know that she wasn’t one of his many conquests. The heart of Rey and the fire of Alsamt were not easily won, and she wouldn’t allow her inner soul to be swayed by broad shoulders and soulful eyes. Rey had set a time line for her affections, and nothing could alter that. 

Not even herself. 

Once she was finished in the shower, she pulled one of the fluffy grey towels from the stack beside the shower and dried off. Wrapping a fresh towel around her body, she took the first one and tied it around her wet hair. She went to walk out the door, and a strange sense of pressure washed over her body, complete with her ears’ popping from the pressure change. 

Ben stood in front of her, obviously fresh from his own shower. Rey squeaked in fright and confusion, causing Ben to look up and catch her eye. 

“How did you do this?” Rey hissed at him. “What trick is this?” 

He looked around in confusion. “I don’t know. What can you see? I only see you, not your surroundings. Are you in the fresher?” 

“Yes! And I only see you as well. Is this some kind of weird mirror?” 

“I don’t think so. It’s like the Force itself connected us to each other. What were you doing when you noticed me?” 

“Nothing. I just stepped out of the shower.” 

“What were you thinking about?” 

Rey narrowed her eyes angrily. “I was thinking how much I’d like to punch you in the face, asshole. What were you doing?” 

It was a small measure of satisfaction that he looked guilty. 

“I was, ah, getting ready for a shower. Undressing, pulling out clean clothes, shit like that. Nothing that would have caused this.” 

“Then what happened?” 

“I need to talk to my grandfather.” 

“Ben! No! You cannot talk to anyone about this. What would people think?” 

“Anakin isn’t people, Rey. He’s one of the one surviving Jedi Masters from before Palpatine’s attempted take-over of the Republic. He’s also quite the scholar, he has a library filled with holo-crons and writings from both the Sith and Jedi point of view.” 

She chewed on her lip for a moment before she realized the bond was pressing her to confess her lie. 

“Ben, I was thinking of you, just before you appeared.” 

The smirk was replaced with a genuine smile, and she decided right then it was her favorite expression for him. It made him look young, happy. 

“Yeah, I was thinking about you as well, rather explicitly if we’re telling the truth.” 

“How so?” 

“Rey, as your soon-to-be husband, I forbid you to wear that whatever that was in front of anyone other than me, do you understand?” 

Ah, so her choice of costume had affected him. Good. She’d been wondering if he’d noticed she was trying to control each aspect of their sparring to her advantage. 

“But Ben, that’s what I learned to fight wearing. I always spar in those clothes, just as I sleep in the nude. The fewer clothes to travel, the faster you can move.” 

His mouth fell open and Rey chalked another silent point in her favor. Best to leave him with that image during his shower as she went to dress for pictures with his grandparents. 

****** 

The echo of his boots crossing the durasteel decking reminded him of the thump of his heart the first time he’d made this walk, to the throne of his Master, Snoke. It was just after the fall of the old Emperor as the Republic forces had swarmed the Senate building, the day he’d accepted he was different from the rest of his family and switched allegiance to the First Order, allowing himself to become the apprentice of the Dark Master. The day he’d killed the Emperor and left his father for dead. The day Luke Skywalker denied the Light and accepted his role to save the future. 

The day he accepted his destiny, as Darth Vader. 

At the end of the previous wars, Palpatine hadn’t been able to force Anakin to an apprenticeship, so Darth Sidious found a perfect acolyte in the Outer Wastes, Snoke, while biding his time, carrying on as Chancellor for as long as possible. Claiming power had been easy, maintaining a grip on the galaxy was not. As Anakin, Padme, and his sister Leia fought for the Republic, Luke found support of his irrational fear of his family, feeling out of step with the Royal Families of Naboo and Alderaan, with the physically scarred yet mentally sharp Dark scholar. He began to study both sides of the Force, caught by the seductive call of power. Power to show his family they were wrong to favor diplomacy over strength. 

The Dark Side showed him the way, and now, so many years later, every path was about converge on Naboo. It was the moment he and the Supreme Leader had been preparing for. A chance to swing the pendulum toward the Dark, to the First Order, for generations to come. 

The throne was a ghastly oversized gilded monstrosity, sitting atop a dais to complete the feeling of superiority Snoke conveyed when seated. Luke knelt at the foot of the stairs, just as he had done all those years ago. Only now he hid behind the black helmet constructed to hide his face from those who’d known him in his previous life. 

“Master, you sent for me?” 

“Yes, my faithful Lord Vader. Soon we will be in orbit above Naboo, and our plans will be set in motion. Once the girl and your nephew are safely aboard, we leave at once for Mustafar. You will have three standard moon cycles to turn them both fully to the Dark, to stop this balance from happening.” 

“And if they resist, my Master? Both are strong in the Force. When we convince one, the other will fall like a twig. The bond will make it so. But if they both resist, I wonder if I contain enough power by myself to turn them without your assistance.” 

Snoke’s face bore no trace of emotion other than boredom. “Then you will kill them, and the Force will have to start fresh in its attempts to stop us. You are dismissed.” 

“Yes, my Master.” 

Vader turned and strode out of the throne room, checking the clock on the wall for the estimated time of arrival on Naboo. Seventeen days. 

Returning to his rooms, Vader removed the mask, setting it on the podium by the door so it was always ready for him, pulling off his gloves and placing them on top of the mask. Turning into the empty rooms, he stared out the viewport at the passing starfield. Sensing Snoke’s attention far from his own, he allowed himself a few moments of reflecting. 

They were returning to Naboo. His mother’s home world, where she and the remnants of the man known as Anakin Skywalker still ruled, and he was Dark Prince Luke. For a moment’s impulse he hoped his parents were off-world, or at least out of the city, before they arrived to kidnap Ben and Rey. While Luke was deep in the Dark Side, he did not know if he could kill his own parents, and didn’t want to find out the answer to that particular question any time soon. 

He wasn’t certain the Supreme Leader’s plan was the correct answer to this puzzle, but it was the best option they had at this time. If Ben and Rey achieved balance for the Force, then Snoke and Luke himself faced the loss of a majority of their own strengths. But if the two could be turned to the Dark Side, the Light would never again be strong enough to challenge the Dark. 

For years Snoke had assumed the Light would be championed by Obi-Wan Kenobi, but when Reyanna was born, the phrase of the prophecy seldom quoted become clear. “Refined through grey sight.” The Balance would be achieved first, then the Dark relegated to a minor role in the galaxy. The First Order would lose, and the Resistance would triumph. 

His sister would triumph. 

That wouldn’t do. Luke was the first born. Luke was the one tapped to follow Anakin into the Jedi Order. Leia was to marry well and move away. Then she fell for that smuggler. And Anakin rebelled against the Chancellor, and Luke had to choose between his Master, or his family. It hadn’t been that difficult a choice. Palpatine offered something his family didn’t. A chance to be heard. A chance to make his own mark on the world. A chance to be someone other than the son of two famous, powerful people. To be a person rather than a hero. 

Becoming Darth Vader gave him that chance. Other than a few priests and advisors no one else save for Snoke knew that Luke and Vader were the same person. Any who discovered that secret died painfully. Luke Skywalker was listed as having died during the Battle of Jakku. He’d been nineteen years old. Now, thirty years later, the end goal was in site. 

The First Order would crush the Royal Families and use their systems as bases from which to subdue the Inner Worlds. In no time all Resistance will be gone, and the First Order will rule the galaxy. Then the Apprentice will kill his master and take his place. Once he is Supreme Leader, he’ll install Ben and Rey as his apprentices and use their bond to keep them in line and unwilling to kill him. 

His apprentices shall give him a new generation of Skywalkers to train in the Dark Side. 

All shall be as the Force wills it.


	8. Night Visits

For the next month, their days settled into a comfortable routine. Ben joined Rey for an early breakfast, outside if possible, and they would meditate for several hours. Then each would retire to their own duties until lunchtime. Rey always had lunch alone, then they would meet again to train in the afternoons. Padme insisted they clean up and join them for tea, then her time was her own until supper, usually one hour past sundown. Evenings were for family time. 

Twelve days after her arrival on Naboo, Princess Leia of Alderaan and her husband, General Han Solo arrived. This time Rey stood on the dais instead of having to make the walk from the landing field. She found however; she was still the object of intense public scrutiny. Each morning the news media reported on her daily schedule including public events where she could be met and photographed. Sometimes Ben accompanied her to this torment, many times she was alone. 

Today he stood at her side, squeezing her hand for comfort. 

~I can feel your nervousness, sweetheart. Just relax. It’s my mother. Not a rathtar.~ 

~Feels like a rathtar.~ 

Their ability to speak through the bond grew easier each day, and Rey had to keep her shields up quite a bit to keep certain thoughts private. 

What upset her more was that she knew every detail of her life was being reported to Ben. Each morning, after her room was cleaned and her sheets changed, it felt as if someone reported to him the state of the bed linens because his end of the bond would suddenly become insufferably smug. Plus, he took every opportunity presented to grind himself against her, each time the chills ran up and down her spine and goosebumps peppered her skin she forced herself to remember what this man did. How he made her feel was all a part of his game, and she wouldn’t be pulled in, no matter what her traitorous body said. 

Not to mention there was a desert night bloom on her bedside table when she awoke. Only three people would send her a message that way, and Ben Solo was none of them. She needed to make her way to the Church of the Force, after midnight, to discover her message as well as the messenger. 

Ben’s mother was shorter than Rey expected, but his father was tall and lanky. It was easy to see Ben had his father’s mannerism but his mother’s eyes. Leia missed nothing as she ran her eyes up and down Rey’s leggings and tunic. Padme stepped forward and intercepted her daughter. 

“I know, Leia. I told her a dress was required, but you can see how much she listens to me. Reminds me of a certain teenager I used to know.” 

Rey smiled to herself as Leia blushed. Was that how mothers and daughters were supposed to interact? 

“Rey, this is my mother, Princess Leia of Alderaan and Naboo, and my father General Han Solo. Mother, Dad, this is Reyanna.” 

“Oh my,” Leia’s eyes were warm and Rey felt slightly uncomfortable, “you’ve grown so much since the last time I saw you. It was right after the funerals, they were taking you off to the Deep Desert, just this little wisp of a girl. You are so lovely, my dear.” 

“Thank you, Princess.” Rey felt off balance, but couldn’t decide if it were her emotions or Ben’s. His face was blank, but his mind rolled on several subjects, making Rey feel dizzy. 

“Please, call me Leia.” 

“Of course, Leia.” 

“Ben, do you have a hug for your mother?” 

It did Rey’s heart good to see Ben blushing like a school girl as this tiny woman made him uncomfortable. Perhaps there was a human still buried somewhere inside. 

The family began to drift toward the palace with Rey and Ben at the back of the crowd. Another family feast. The wedding was still ten days away, and already Rey was sick of food. Ben forced her to eat in the morning, carefully measuring out her portions and hovering until she ate everything. Otherwise, he would pout and remind her of the doctor’s orders of her to gain weight, something apparently other women would love to be told. For Rey it just highlighted her strange childhood. 

At least at lunch she could pick and choose, no one to stand over her and watch. Some days she took her lunch and fed it to the birds outside her balcony. Other times, she simply jumped down to the gardens, out the closest gate and waited until she found child beggars. She would split her meal carefully among several mouths, making sure all were equally feed. Often she would purchase extra bread for them to eat on for several days. 

Rey couldn’t save everyone, but she’d certainly help every child that she could. Her life might be ending, but she could still do her part for those innocents of the galaxy. First, she had to find out who sent that night bloom. She begged out of family time and hurried to her rooms. 

Pulling out a box from the back of her closet, Rey dug out her night clothes. Similar to the leggings and tunic she wore during the day, these were jet black, made to blend with the ebony of the desert midnight. She fastened her knives around her thigh, and put her long dagger in its holder, the light saber on her right hip. She turned out her lights, and slid out onto the balcony. After a long ten count, she leaped over the railing down into the gardens. 

Using the dispatch gate, Rey grabbed hold of a low hanging branch and made her way quietly along the wall to a low roof line of the city below the palace. She pulled the hood and mask into place. 

Alsamt had an appointment she needed to keep. 

It took her twenty minutes to make her way along back alleys to the Church of the Force in a quiet corner of the city. The gate to the priests’ private garden was unlocked, and Rey slipped in like a shadow. One door across the courtyard was cracked, a thin shaft of light barely visible in the gloom of the gardens. 

She slid through the fringes of the garden, checking for traps and listeners. Women weren’t allowed in the private quarters of the Force priests, even if they were the faith’s anointed killer. As she approached the cracked door, she heard a conversation already in progress. She paused to listen 

A strange male voice was arguing. “The time is now! We can rid ourselves of the First Order and the Royal Families all in one attack. That opens the way for us to spread among the Outer Wastes and the Inner Worlds. We will control the fate of the Galaxy. Not the Supreme Leader and his pet Sith.” 

“Vader is stronger than you give credit, even now they head toward us in an attempt to stop the Balance from happening. We must devote our resources to protecting the two of them against the First Order and Vader. They will certainly seek to take out one if not both to prevent destiny. If necessary, we must be willing to take them off planet for their own safety.” 

The first voice was calmer, but still aggravated. “The First Temple is Balanced enough to keep them safe and hidden. Only a few of the Navigator Guild still remember the way, but it is doable. Especially if we send them off on a blind ship.” 

“What?” 

“Blind programming. We don’t know the destination, and they cannot be tracked. But a map is left behind, usually in two droids to maximize security. It can be done and ready to go at a moment’s notice should the First Order invasion become a reality. But will they go?” 

There was a long silence before the second, quieter man replied. Rey had to strain to hear the words. 

“If they don’t kill each other first.” 

At that, Rey decided to make her presence known. She lifted the veil on her Force Signature, and felt the two men in the room stiffen at her sudden appearance. 

Slipping into the room, she lowered her mask and faced Sir Lor San Tekkan and a face she hadn’t seen since her childhood, Sir Rance Sortrune, of Takodana. The Master of the Assassins Guild. Her teacher and godfather in the Qadal. 

“Master,” Rey bowed low to Sir Rance. “Have you come to Naboo to rescue me from this farce of a marriage?” 

“No, my sweet child. I know this is hard for you, but we all must do what we must as the Force directs. You and Ben Solo have a joined destiny in the Force, though I know it pains you to hear that. All will be revealed in the Force’s time, child. You know this. But we must speak of another and your assigned mission.” 

“Yes, Master. I have heard that Darth Vader is coming to Naboo, and possibly Snoke as well. What do you think pulled the monster out of his lair? He knew we couldn’t reach him out in the Wildes. I sense this is a trap but for who I’m not sure.” 

“Your instincts serve you well, Alsamt. The Royal Families need to prepare. The First Order isn’t coming to offer peace to the galaxy. I fear they seek to prevent the Balance from occurring.” 

San Tekka glanced at the clock. “It grows later, and Alsamt’s presence will be missed soon. Keep an eye out for another bloom. I will signal when we have our plans ready. It may or may not be before the wedding, though. With the First Order and Vader arriving just in time for the actual event, timing will be delicate.” 

“I’m ready Masters. Your training will allow me to count my first coup and set the universe on a path of peace.” 

“Go then, sweet child. Take care and do not forsake your training. It will save your life one day.” 

With a brief hug to both of her teachers, Alsamt made to head back to the palace. She enjoyed her trips through the city in the early morning hours. Usually her only companions at these early hours were the cats and drunks, but today there were soldiers patrolling the streets. They appeared to be looking for something. 

Reaching the grounds below her balcony, she climbed up the brickwork and slipped into her room. 

“Enjoying a night’s stroll, sweetheart?” 

Ben was waiting in her dark bedroom, and he was pissed.


	9. Punishment and Crime

“I can explain.” 

Rey took a step backward, trying to put air into between her physical being and Ben’s anger. It radiated off him in waves, threatening to pull her under and she tried to center her racing thoughts, afraid he was going to physically attack her and she could smell the alcohol swirling around, muddying his Force signature. She raised her hands in supplication for mercy, but her fiancé was having none of it, coming after her like a raging bantha. 

“Where have you been all night? Half the palace guard and all of your own personal Blood Guard are out searching the city for you. You ran from dinner like the hounds of war were chasing you then when I come to check on you, make sure you’re all right, you’ve disappeared into thin air until the light is about to return to the sky. I want the truth, Rey.” 

She reached with her hands behind her to make sure she wasn’t going to be pushed into a corner, knowing that if he got her against a wall, she wasn’t strong enough without using the Force to push her way out. Ben’s eyes, normally a rich chocolate brown now shown black tinged in a strange golden color, and he loomed over her like a malevolent wraith. For the first time since meeting him, she’s scared of what he might do to her. 

“I had to see the priests at the church. I took the long way to prevent being seen.” 

A version of the truth. Cassabian always taught her that a version of the truth would stand up better than a lie. Easier to remember, harder to disprove. 

Cass never got into an argument with Ben Solo. 

He laughed at her and pushed himself against her, his body hard and hot pushing her back toward, something she wasn’t sure where he was pushing her. She couldn’t meet his eyes, they scared her. What was wrong with him? This wasn’t the warm, attentive young man who’d been working so hard to earn her trust. This was a stranger. 

“Priests? Is that what the men you meet with call themselves? And what are you learning from them in the dark of the night? Lies, Rey. You give me nothing but lies. You would rather find comfort in the arms of some faceless stranger than the one who is to be your lawful husband? Is that why you cannot meet my eyes? Your shame?” 

Rey couldn’t believe the vile things coming from Ben’s mouth. He dared accuse her of that? After the things he has done? The meek teenager had all she was going to take of his misogyny and came out of the corner verbally fighting back to his wild accusations. 

“You dare! After the things you’ve done, the way you’ve treated me, you have the nerve to say to my face you think I’ve been cheating on you?” she threw the words in his face. “I have never nor would I ever break a sacred vow, which is more than I can say for you, my husband.” She stressed the word insultingly. “I come to you as the day I was born. Too bad you cannot say the same.” 

He smacked her across the face. She hit him right back. 

They glared at each other, the hate a visible thread between them. 

Then she felt it. 

He was using the bond to search her thoughts and not being particularly nice about attacking her mind. 

Rey tried to pull her shields up, but not before he caught a whisper of voices, the hint of a garden, running across roof tops. But he kept going, deeper, looking for any hint of falseness with which to shred her. The pain of his invasion became excruciating, but she refused to give him the satisfaction of knowing that she barely remained conscious. Already the edges of her vision were tinged with black, and the flame of heat that burned at her inner most core reached its breaking point. 

Using the Force, she pushed him back against the far wall, slamming him hard enough to knock several paintings off the wall. He returned the favor by Forcing her against the balcony door, holding her still as he picked himself up and stalked across the floor. 

“Oh sweetheart, if you want to play with the big boys, you need to up your game. Physically you’re not close to a match for me. So be a good girl and listen, as I’m only going to say this once. I’m a very possessive man, and you are mine. No more midnight excursions around Theed. No more denying me the pleasure of your company. No more men around you except those I approve. No more desert scavenger, Rey. It’s time to let your past die, and accept who you are now.” 

Try as she could, Rey could not break out of the Force hold Ben placed on her, her feet barely touching the ground. 

“What’s the matter, Rey? Nothing to say?” 

She glared at him, cursing at him through their bond 

~Let me off this door, I’ll let my knife do the talking you bantha shit!~ 

~If this is your idea of foreplay, sweetheart, I could get used to it.~ 

Ben ran his hands over her blacks, finding and removing several but not all of her knives. 

“Do you actually know how to use these things?” 

~Let me free and I’ll show you.~ 

Screaming at Ben through the bond wasn’t as satisfactory as hearing the words burn across his skin. 

He continued his tour of her body, keeping her taunt against the wooden door. Rey glared at him; her voice not free to give him the verbal assault she wanted. 

“Oh, I hear you screaming at me through the bond,” Ben drawled. “But at least right now I know where the fuck you are. Do you know what it’s like to have to confront Obi-Wan and Nana Padme and confess I don’t know where you’ve run off this time? That stops tonight. From tonight on we will be inseparable.” 

Rey twisted as best she could, trying every trick she could remember on how to break out of a Force hold. Ben was exceptionally strong, and she doubted she could physically overcome him without the assist of a weapon. Then she felt it, he wavered only for a moment, and she pulled her right arm free and cold-cocked Ben on the side of his head. 

She fell to the floor as he staggered backward. Her voice free, Rey vomited all the words she’d been holding back. 

“You arrogant asshole. I’m sorry about our grandparents, but there are forces in this galaxy greater than our petty concerns. Darth Vader is headed to this planet along with Snoke and the rest of the First Order, and it’s my mission to end the Sith lord. All the rest is second to that! You can help me or you can get the hell out of my way.” 

At the mention of Vader, Ben came apart again, only this time he grabbed her wrists with those huge hands and pulled her against him, pushing Rey down on the day bed as he used his superior weight to press her into the mattress. His eyes were a deadly nightmare black. 

“Never mention that name around me again. Understand?” 

Rey managed a minimal nod, and expected Ben to remove himself from atop her body, but instead, he stared into her eyes, that hint of gold around the outside of his eyes frightening and Rey blushed at the naked desire in them. Slowly he began to move, pressing against her in a most embarrassing manner, laying himself between her legs, slowly pushing his hips against hers. She couldn’t look away, couldn’t stop the thread that kept pulling tighter and tighter between them. 

“Do you understand, Rey?” He whispered into her ear as his hips continued to press against her crotch. “You are to be my wife. No more running.” 

His voice was low, no longer angry but frustrated. She could hear it in his voice. Along with a touch of fear at not knowing where she was all overshadowed by a growing need she could feel in herself and through the bond. 

His kissed her neck, as she began to tremble uncontrollably. 

“No more strangers.” 

His hands slid around her waist, pulling her tight as she gave into the shared sensation that the two of them seemed to be experiencing. A tightness low in her abdomen caused her to shudder, a light moan escaping without her permission. It seems to drive Ben wilder. 

“I want you so bad,“ Ben confessed. “Since the moment you stepped foot on the planet, I’ve been captivated by your smile, the warm scent of you. I don’t think I can wait five more days. And then you run from me.” 

He pressed harder, her eyes are held captive by the pure need in his soulful orbs, still black but no longer shaded with gold. With the back of his knuckles he caresses her jaw, then across her cheekbones. There is no violence in his touch as there was when they fought. Rey can feel her ribs in an all too real way and knows she will have bruises soon. But right now, all she can focus on is Ben and his amazing sexy body and the very strange way he makes her feel. 

It’s as if a rubber band has snapped insider her, and her hips jerk against Ben’s as Rey’s entire body shivers in waves. For a moment, everything is suspended in time between them, there is no universe outside of Ben and Rey and their minds are completely open each to the other, all secrets laid bare, the ugly and the precious. They each flinch as memories of times best forgotten assault them both. As the torment of their lives catches up to the present, Rey’s anger begins to build again as she realizes what Ben’s done. 

He made her cum, and it wasn’t as horrible as she’d imagined. 

But it wasn’t worth the smirk on his face, and Rey struggles to free herself, pushing Ben hard with the Force and bouncing up off the bed, landing in a fighter’s stance. 

“You son of a bitch! How dare you?” 

The piece of bantha shit had the nerve to laughter at her. It had to be the alcohol because she could sense underneath the swagger and the asshole, the undercurrent of fear. Fear of losing her. His insecurity was pinging off the charts and it made her back down, change her position to one of a negotiation. 

“I dare because in five nights, sweetheart, you’re mine. Mine to fuck; mine to collar; mine to do as I wish.” He ran his long fingers through his ebony mane and she wanted to jump up and take over for him. She shook herself hard to come out of the day dream. 

Ben was still talking. “I don’t want to hurt you Rey, but there are some basic rules you’re going to have to come to terms with. Including the fact that as your husband, your body belongs to me and me alone. If I find out you have shared yourself, not kept yourself pure, my rage will make the First Order’s pet Sith look peaceful.” 

“I swear, Ben. You’ve read the doctor’s report. Virga intact. You can’t lie about that.” 

“No, but women have lied to me about one thing or another my whole life. Why should you be any different?” 

The naked pain in that comment was like ice water over her anger. She knew what it was like to be lied to, for years, by someone you trusted, someone you thought loved you. She didn’t want him to think that of her. She wasn’t like them. 

“I cannot lie to my soul mate, Benjamin. You know that.” her tone was quiet and even. 

He tried to take a step toward her, and she moved back involuntarily. He stopped and looked her. She took a breath and stepped back, letting him see her resolve. She shouldn’t trust him, and right now a large portion of her didn’t. But she could feel he needed to see her commitment to their relationship more than she needed her space. She would compromise and see where it led. 

Apparently it was the step in the right direction for Ben. He pulled on her hands, looking at her eyes for permission as he embraced her, soft kisses landing on her temple and top of her head. 

“Rey, forgive my lack of control. You drive me mad. I’ve never felt for anyone what I feel for you, and it scares me shitless. Part of my brain wants me to just close my eyes and leap into this trusting you’re going to be there to catch me. The other part is scared you’re going to walk out the door and I'll never see you again. I can’t lose you Rey. In just this short time the bond we’ve developed, it feels like something special. Something once in a universe.” 

“I know, Ben. I feel it too, I do. But it scares me, so much. I’m seventeen, I was raised in the desert to be a weapon. How can I be what I’ve trained to be and be what you need as a princess? I don’t know how to be a princess. I don’t think I’ll make a very good one.” 

“Why not? You love people, you want to help make their lives better. What better position to help those you care about than from beside me?” 

He curved his hand around her cheek, turning her face gently up to gaze upon with eyes so unlike how he’d been when she first returned. Now he seemed calm, loving, the man she remembered. Who was that other Ben? A puzzle for another time as he bent and softly pressed his lips to her, his tongue licking along the seam of hers, then lightly playing with her own. 

Rey allowed herself to just feel, to relax after the tension of their argument. Hopefully no one else in the palace heard them throwing each other around the room. That would be hard to explain to the grands, that was for sure. 

Soon, Ben pulled her down onto the day bed, this time letting her settle next to him, putting his arms around her and pulling her close, wrapping his legs around hers and sighing in contentment. 

The bond between hummed with happiness as Rey drifted off to sleep wrapped in Ben’s arms.


	10. Strategic Maneuvers

Padme was still dressing when Anakin left their bedroom to meet with Obi-Wan in the dining room. He was feeling raw and edgy; a side effect of Ben and Rey’s passionate argument in their quarters. Throwing that much Force energy around left a buzz in the air that caused Anakin to feel off-kilter, only moving on half-power. It was mildly nauseating, and when he saw the face of his old Master, he knew Obi-Wan suffered the ill effects as well. 

“Master, I feel I must apologize for my grandson. I feel their time together this morning has been rather violent, if the disturbance I sense is any indication.” 

“Nonsense, Anakin. Ben’s responsible for his own actions, as you well know. But notice how balanced things are now. No matter how they got there, those two are doing what was foretold so long ago – bringing balance. Now I’m more certain that the First Order’s arrival is suspicious. They want Ben and Rey together or apart, whichever way they can prevent the balance from completing alignment. The power Snoke and Vader stand to lose is too great for them to allow it.” 

“I cannot believe Vader would harm Ben, even for his Master, Snoke. Wasn’t that the reason we had Rey trained and trained and trained? To protect her from the First Order? Should we have sent Ben as well?"

Obi-Wan nodded, sadly. “The prophecy says Darkness rises. Who else could that be but Vader and Snoke? Since birth we've known Ben is stronger in the Dark, while Rey gravitates to the Light.” 

Anakin clenched his robotic fist over and over. “I still cannot believe my own son betrayed his family for that Dark wizard. And the thing he has twisted Luke into, I have nightmares of being locked in that type of suit, screaming in agony. Horror.” 

“I know, Anakin. It’s a damn mess. What should we do about the grandchildren?” 

Just then, Padme swept into the room, and Anakin felt a new flush of love wash over him. No matter what her age, his wife was naturally beautiful. She’d heard Ben and Rey screaming at each other, sat in the dark as the noises grew into the sounds of an obvious fight, yet there was no trace of weariness on her face, only determination. 

“I’ve spoken with Rey’s maid this morning. According to Paige, when she went to awaken the girl, she found the room in chaos, furniture and vases broken, glasses shattered. But interesting enough, the children were asleep together on the daybed. Clothed, but in each other’s arms.” 

Obi-Wan sighed, and Anakin realized how tense his friend and counselor had been, obviously concerned for his granddaughter. 

“Ben would never hurt Rey,” Padme reassured both men. “Soul mates cannot harm each other. Doesn’t stop him from being angry about her nocturnal excursions around Theed.” 

“Regardless,” Obi-Wan retorted, “we need to get these two married and off this planet before Snoke and the rest of the First Order arrive. How irritated do you think Leia will be if we just let San Tekka marry them and send them on their way?” 

Padme laughed, “Her answer would be somewhere between horrifying and terrifying. This is her only child. She’s been planning this wedding since she and Han eloped. Before we go making any decisions, we need to get Leia and Han on board as well. How soon can the blind ship be ready for departure?” 

“At least two days.” 

“Well, that gives them a two-day head start on the First Order. And since none of us will know where they are, it increases the probability the children will be alright until we can deal with Snoke and Vader.” 

Anakin pulled Padme into his arms. “I’ve already alerted the army as well as Grand Marshall Wexley. The planet will be well defended before the First Order arrives. If they intend to be peaceful, then we will too. But the first time things look crooked, we’ll be all over them.” 

Just them breakfast arrived in the dining room, along with Leia and Han, so the conversations started again. Everyone heard Ben and Rey’s argument, and all were ready for the tension in the palace to break. 

***** 

As he slowly woke up Ben was smacked by two sudden realizations. 

The first was he’d acted like a complete ass to Rey and probably shot their relationship straight back to zero. 

The second was feeling Rey curled against his chest still asleep. 

What the hell happened last night? 

He remembered her running from the dinner table, saying she felt ill. He’d gone to check on her about an hour later and discovered her rooms empty. Upon further investigation he noticed that her fighting knives weren’t in their case. He’d called for the Blood Guard on duty, which luckily was Drea. 

She’d been unaware of Rey’s departure as well, and in no time, search parties were dispatched into the city to find her while Ben found one of his father’s hidden bottles of Corellian whiskey and proceeded to get blind stinking drunk. He’d been laying on her couch, wondering what he’d done wrong that drove her to run away, when he’d heard the sound of feet landing on the balcony. 

Checking the clock, he noticed she’d been missing for almost ten hours. 

Jealousy, fear, anger, lust, relief. He wasn’t sure which one of the many conflicting emotions he’d gone through had been the one responsible for the words that came out, but his body felt as if he’d gone several rounds in the gym with someone twice his size. There were vague memories of sailing across the room only to meet the wall rather violently. And, and, oh gods, no. He didn’t. 

His eyes flew open as he checked the state of their clothing. Good. Both were still mostly dressed. He wasn’t a total asshole. Then he remembered the rest of what he’d done, and his face flamed violent red. 

Oh, Nana Padme and Leia were going to kill him. That is, if Rey didn’t first. 

What was he thinking? 

Drinking was not his friend. He should never drink again. 

“Would you mind turning your thoughts down some, Ben. I can’t sleep for your inner diatribe.” Rey’s voice was rough from shouting and lack of sleep. 

“Sorry. I’m sorry for everything, okay? I was a massive ass last night, this morning? Whenever. I should not have gotten drunk, and I definitely shouldn’t have said any of those things I said to you. Which I can’t really remember right now, you know, drunkard’s amnesia. But if you hurt half as bad as I do, then I know we had a real old-fashioned fight, and I’m sorry for that too.” 

She rolled over to look up at him, and her face was open. No anger, just a sense of wariness, uncertain whether to reveal too much to him and risk either making things worse or finding another topic on which to argue. 

“It’s all right Ben. I’m not terribly mad. Hurt that you don’t trust, but I understand. Trust grows over time, and that’s been the one thing we haven’t had is time to talk about this situation and where we each see ourselves in this marriage.” 

He stared at her face, so beautiful in the light. He could see the bruise starting on her face where he’d smacked her. His fingertips ran lightly over the skin and she winced in pain. 

“I promise I will never lay a hand on you again in anger. I cannot believe I did that. And you hit me back, didn’t you?” 

Her blush was adorable. 

“Yes, I did hit you back. Someone needed to call you on your attitude.” 

“I didn’t like you leaving the palace in the middle of the night going who knows where alone, it isn’t safe. And no, I don’t care that you’ve been doing this your whole life. You should not have had to, and I can’t believe that Obi-Wan let you stay with those radicals for as long as he did. Please Rey, no more trips. You even scared Drea, and I didn’t think your Blood Guard was allowed to be scared.” 

“The message was last minute, there wasn’t time to tell the cadre. Drea can act like a mother hen.” 

“She cares about you.” Ben ran his fingers through her hair. “I care about you.” 

He could feel her smile against the skin of his chest. 

“I like you too, when you aren’t being Mr. Grumpy Pants.” 

“I am not grumpy.” 

“Oh please Ben. You are the textbook definition of grumpy.” 

At that, she began lightly tickling his sides, and soon they were both rolling together on the day bed, laughing hysterically. Then Rey made a snorting sound and that got them laughing all over again. 

Tears were streaming down his cheeks, which ached from smiling, as he pulled Rey tighter to his chest. This girl was going to be the death of him. 

“Ok, serious question. What time is it and what about something to eat?” 

He glanced at the clock beside the bed. “It appeared to be early afternoon, and I can call and get us whatever you want.” 

Suddenly her face turned bright red. “Oh Maker, do you think we disturbed anyone else with our disagreement?” 

“I don’t know, but don’t worry. They’re used to vigorous arguments. My family can be pretty passionate about things.” 

“Are you sure you don’t mean pig-headed?” 

There was a knock on the door, following by Rey’s maid Paige announcing herself. 

“I’m so sorry your Highness, my Lady, but your family would like you both to join them for lunch in the main salon.” 

Rey rolled her eyes as Ben informed the girl both he and Rey would be down to join the family in a few moments. Rey sat up, her clothes in a horrid state of disarray. He watched as she rubbed her hands across her face, scrubbing the sleep off her as she began stripping off the black suit she’d worn the night before. Watching her stretch, he noticed the large dark bruises beginning to pop along her spine and ribs. 

“Oh shit Rey, did we do that?” 

She glanced down, then nodded. “Nothing broken though. But I feel like every muscle is violently protesting me standing up and moving around.” 

“Shower with me?” Ben wasn’t sure where it came from, but he desperately wanted to make things right with Rey, and surrounding her with positive attention was only one action in his repetorie. 

Her eyes narrowed, and he could hear thoughts flying through her mind in rapid order. “Just to shower?” 

He crossed his heart and smiled. “Just to shower. I promise.” 

Ben pulled off his own tunic, hurrying to join Rey, but when he saw her eyes widen, he looked down at his own bruises and cuts. He smiled at his bride. 

“Got to love a girl who can kick your ass.” 

“And don’t you ever forget it,” she reminded him as they headed for the fresher, truce firmly in place. 

***** 

“Lord Vader, the Supreme Leader is requesting your presence in the throne room.” 

“Thank you General.” 

Heading to the throne room, Vader wondered at the summons. As his power in the Dark side grew, Snoke left him more and more to his own devices. Soon he would be more powerful than his Master, once he had Ben and Rey at his side. But they would need more training. Would he do that onboard ship? Or should he take them to Mustafar, keep their focus on their training? The important part was keeping them away from Snoke, away from his torment. 

When Luke first came to the First Order, after a falling out with his parents and sister, Snoke’s training had been brutal and lengthy. Now Darth Vader, he’d decided to take a different path with his soon-to-be padawans. They needed to learn to use both sides of the Force, Light and Dark, if he plans were to succeed. 

Now however, masking his true desires from his Master, Vader knelt in front of the terrifying old man. 

“Ah, Lord Vader. Are you ready to receive your new apprentices?” 

“Yes, Master. I’m sure they will fit in well here once the orientation process is finished.” 

“It will be good for you to have family around again.” 

Vader didn’t twitch a muscle. 

“You are my family, Master.” 

Snoke chuckled evilly. “You are my greatest creation, Darth Vader. But Ben Solo and Reyanna Kenobi will conquer the galaxy for us and once the Light is extinguished, under the leadership of Kylo and Kira Ren following the wisdom of Darth Vader, the Sith and the Dark will create a dynasty that shall last ten thousand years.” 

“Yes, Master.” 

“Now, go prepare. In two days we will be at Naboo, and all our plans will be set in motion. Soon, all shall be as it was foretold. Make sure their quarters are stocked well, they are newlyweds after all.” 

Dismissed from the audience, Vader made his way to his quarters. Removing his mask, he stared at the passing star field. 

~Leia, can you hear me?~ 

But just as for the previous twenty years, there was no answer from his twin.


	11. Magnificent Betrayals

Cassabian soon discovered three things about his new boss Poe Dameron. 

One, the man was a hell of a pilot. 

Two, the man would fuck anything that expressed interest. 

Three, the man never shut up. 

Their first smuggling run through the Mid Rim had been mildly entertaining, with little drama and maximum financial reward. In and out on a quick run during which Dameron never shut up and Cassabian sat stewing in his misery listening. Celebrating on Corellia led to catching up on news from around the galaxy, which is how he’d discovered the upcoming nuptials on Naboo. Cass then promptly climbed into a bottle of brandy and didn’t return for two days. When he did, they were on their way to meet with a new client near Takodana. 

Groaning, he pulled himself in the fresher and let the sonic blast him as he tried in vain to push the hangover into the furthest recesses of his brain. Soon Rey would be beyond him forever and one day the pain would go away, but at this point in time he was ready to try having his memories surgically removed. 

The Qadal was apparently worried about him. Twice he’d seen Messengers trying to catch his attention. Couriers of the Qadal, they never brought good news, using delivering mission assignments and requests for meetings. The one freedom allowed him due to his status as 'retired' was he didn't have to talk to anyone from the order unless he wanted. Unlike those still under vows, Cass was free. He thanked the storms that he had to acknowledge them to know what they wanted. He knew. He knew he was spiraling out of control, knew what had to be done, but he was loathe to submit himself to the Church for re-education. Who would he be when he wasn’t Cassabian of Endor any longer? When he didn’t love her memory? 

That was what it was, Cass had worked out in a drunken haze, he was in love with the memory of who Rey had been, what they had accomplished together along with the rest of the cadre. But he was a child, a mere infant playing with the Force, and he’d gotten in way over his head. Re-education wasn’t mandatory but in this particular case he was certain San Tekka would lead the charge for his head to be scrambled. 

He knew too much. He’d buried too many bodies in the sands of Jakku. 

Dressed he made his way to the bridge, stopping by the galley for some caf. Dameron was in the captain’s chair, studying some charts. He grinned at his crew. 

“Ever been to Takodana?” 

Cass nodded. “Did a mission there about seven months ago. Nice. Greener than Jakku.” 

Nodding, Poe returned to his charts. “Maz is a character, but we won’t actually be landing on the planet. We’re going to rendezvous on the other side of this smaller moon. Our client doesn’t really have clearance to land. It was revoked after a small incident at her cantina involving some of their crew. No problem though. We’ll simply land inside the flight deck and our contact will be waiting. 

“What’s the mission?” 

“Taking cargo from point A to point B. That’s what we get paid to do, Cass. I promised myself a long time ago I’d never get involved on a deeper level. It’s all just figures on a ledger to me.” 

They dropped out of hyperspace, and Cass felt his heart give a tug as the green and blue of Takodana filled the view screen. Using their inertia, they swung around the planet and headed for a small moon on the far side. His heart lurched when he saw the massive Star Destroyer of the First Order waiting for them. 

“What the fuck have you done Dameron?” he whispered to the pilot. 

He turned only see Poe holding a blaster in his direction. 

“Figures on a ledger my friend. Someone wants to have a little chat with you.” 

Cassabian hoped his mental screens held. They had to. 

For everyone’s sake. 

***** 

Padme smiled as her grandson and his bride-to-be joined her in the private family garden for lunch. Obi-Wan and Anakin were busy making arrangements with Sir Lor San Tekka on the blind ship for the children’s departure, and Leia was setting the final touches for the wedding ceremony. It was a bitter pill to swallow, but much as she wanted to celebrate Ben and Rey’s marriage, it was imperative they get off planet before the First Order could arrive. 

“Ben, you look positively un-grumpy today. Any particular reason?” 

At least her moody boy had the decency to look chagrined. 

“I’m sorry if we disturbed you with our disagreement this morning, Nana. Things got a little out of control.” 

“Yes, they did. But it will all be over sooner than you think. The council has decided it is best if you go ahead and marry quickly and quietly. There will be a small ceremony this evening with the family, then you and Rey will depart on the blind ship in order to evade Snoke and the First Order.” 

The color dropped out of Rey’s face, and for a moment Padme felt a terrible sense of guilt. Her actions toward this child had always been of the best intent, but she could see the panic and fear of the unknown in Rey’s eyes. How strange it must feel, a teenager on the cusp of adulthood being thrust into a situation far beyond her making. At least when she’d met Anakin and made the fateful to decision to marry, they’d had a history. Rey and Ben had known each other scarce a handful of weeks. 

“Rey,” she grasped the girl’s hand in her own. “I know this is a lot, but Ben is your soul mate. Once you are both well away from Naboo, we can let the military handle Snoke and Darth Vader.” 

“Why can’t we stay and fight with everyone else? I’m just as well trained as any; I can defend myself.” 

It was time for Padme to come clean about why the First Order was on the way. 

“You children are too important to the galaxy to leave things to chance. You're responsible for the balance, which will greatly diminish Snoke and Vader’s power through loss of the full strength of an unbridled Dark side. They want to prevent this wedding, this merging, at all costs. 

“Darth Vader wants the both of you to serve as his apprentices. Snoke wants you because he knows the two of you represent the balance of the Force in the galaxy, and he will stop at nothing to prevent that balance, even stooping to kill one or both of you if you refuse to submit to the Dark side.” 

Neither one had anything to say at her confession. What could they? What did you say the moment you found out your life wasn’t your own? That the Force has been dictating your life without your knowledge or consent? That was one of the things Anakin always complained about, the way he’d felt so many times in his life that his actions were being controlled by someone or something other than himself. The Force certainly had a way of using the Skywalker family for its dirtiest jobs. 

Ben was the first to recover. he looked a tad frightened, which was not a comfort look on her giant of a grandson. Knowing him as well as she did, she knew his ears would be burning under that silky black hair, and the color on his face was hot. 

“I uh, look forward to this evening then. Pardon me, bad luck to see the bride before the ceremony.” He mumbled as he rose from the table and staggered toward the palace. 

Padme noticed Rey biting her lip, and all the color had drained out of the child’s face. 

“Go ahead Rey, please feel free to talk to me about anything.” 

“I don’t know that we’re ready for this. The fight was quite an eye opener. I fear what happens the first time I don’t acquiesce to his standards. It isn’t within either of us to back down from a confrontation if we think we’re right.” 

“Rey, marriage is about compromises. When I was pregnant with the twins, Ani suffered from these horrible nightmares of me dying in childbirth. He was convinced by Palpatine’s lies that the Force could stop death from taking me from him. He closed himself off from me, until I’d had enough. I confronted the Jedi Council about my concerns on Palpatine, with many Masters backing up my claims. We had a sound case including some records found by Bail Organa confirming that Dooku and Palpatine were close, perhaps even Master and Apprentice. Sith. 

“The Council brought in Anakin, and it was quite the fight. The Chancellor already had a handhold on Ani and was using me as the lever to break into my husband’s soul. We fled Coruscant in the middle of the night on an Alderaanian light destroyer to avoid capture. Obi-Wan came with us as additional protection, as my due date was fast approaching. 

“We hid on Polis Massa station for me to deliver while Obi-Wan and several of the Jedi Council forced Palpatine to reveal himself before the Senate, starting up the war and I won’t go into all of that, because Ani and I spent most of it avoiding Palpatine and protecting Luke and Leia. When it got to be too much, we split up the twins, leaving Leia with the Organas on Alderaan and taking Luke to Ani’s brother on Tatooine. Then we joined Obi-Wan in the hunt to finally destroy the Emperor. 

“It took years, and I missed my children more than I ever dreamed possible. But I had Ani, and we visited as we could, always taking the position of godparents when the children were small to protect them from the Empire. Always watching over them from afar. 

“When they were old enough to handle the truth, each was told and given the option to stay with their adopted families or join us to take down the Empire. We were getting closer, the Emperor weak without a good apprentice. Leia of course joined the Rebellion, the Organas were also Rebels. Luke, took it hard. He was so like Anakin, head in space, wanting more and unable to understand why he was relegated to such a small life. 

“He made contact in a cantina with a smuggler named Han Solo to fly him and a couple of droids he’d found at a crashed escape pod to the Rebel Alliance. The droids had information that was vital to the destruction of the Empire. 

“Ani was furious when we found out. The argument when Luke joined us at Headquarters was frightening to watch. Somehow Luke found one of Ani’s old light sabers and he confronted his father. Of course, Luke barely knew how to use the damn thing, and Anakin didn’t want to kill our son, only stop him from making a stupid decision. I begged my husband to back down, but next thing we know, Luke lost a hand, was bleeding from a scar across his face, and stole a fighter. For six months we heard nothing, only rumors. Then bam, suddenly Palpatine was dead, supposedly at the hands of Snoke, and Luke was Snoke’s new Apprentice, Darth Vader. 

“I know my husband blames himself for what happened. We should have let Luke become a pilot as he wanted, we should have kept the children with us while we fought and bled across the galaxy. But I wanted them to have real childhoods, something neither Ani nor I had. We’ve spent our entire marriage compromising ourselves for others. We don’t want that for you and Ben. We want to address this problem now. If we had done that almost forty years ago, when all this began with Palpatine, things might be different.” 

She grew quiet, seeing the understanding on Rey’s face. Sometimes you must do a thing not because you want to, but because you need to, desperately. Padme knew her greatest mistake was in letting her children go. She also knew they probably would have been killed if they’d all stayed together. It pained her to her core that some problems had no easy solutions. 

“Rey, it’s time to start focusing on the wedding. I have a few dresses in my collection that I think might fit with minimal alterations. So, let’s leave all this seriousness behind and focus on making your wedding day as smooth as possible, shall we?” 

The girl blinked at her several times before shaking her head and smiling. 

“Of course, Nana Padme. But do I have to wear a dress?” 

Padme met her eye-to-eye with all the seriousness of a Queen. 

“This time, you do.”


	12. Marry in Haste

Ben wasn’t panicking. Panicked? No. Scared to the bone? Hell yes. 

As he exited his grandparent’s garden, all Ben could think about was Rey and the golden skin she’d allowed him only a small glimpse of that morning in the shower. It had almost been his undoing, discovering Rey's different sense of morals. How was he to know desert women bathed in sheer white linen shifts to preserve the illusion of modesty, water at such a premium that the concept of undressing and standing under running water still hadn’t quite sunk into her brain. But damn if it wasn’t hotter to watch her, linen stuck to her skin as her hands worked themselves through her thick chestnut tresses. The sight of pink nipples through the fabric almost broke him, and it took all his will to not pin her against the wall and rip the erotic garment from her in one motion before diving into her in the next.

It had taken every inch of self-control Ben possessed to not take her mainly because he also knew Rey could protect herself from him in many ways, some of which involved sharp objects like knives, and he had no intention of forcing himself upon his bride. She was his soul mate, the other half of him that he'd missed for so long. For weeks they'd lashed at each other verbally all the while he'd felt the growing sense of attraction he'd missed with other relationships. Last night showed him Rey was just as pent up as he and moving up the wedding suited him just fine. This time tomorrow they would be alone on their way to an unknown planet while the First Order invaded his home and future kingdom. There would be days to spend in bed together, learning each other, filling the ache inside as storm troopers ran amok in his capital city.

Plus and minus. Always plus and minus. 

He felt horrible leaving, but even the Council of Governors insisted he and Rey leave as soon as possible. The future of Naboo and Alderaan could not fall into the First Order’s hands, nor could Ben and Rey afford to let Darth Vader take them prisoner. They both understood that fate led to a quick and probably painful death. He had to trust his friend Armitage to protect the Skywalker Solo families from harm, which was a shit thing to do to Hux, seeing as how his father was the General of Snoke’s military. Well downtrodden under Snoke and Vader’s heels, but still a monstrous tyrant in his own right. 

Hux was waiting for him inside his rooms. He could sense the ginger’s agitation. 

“Is it true? The wedding is tonight? My father and the rest of the First Order are on the way?” 

“It’s true,” Ben confirmed. “All of it. I need to be dressed by five bells.” 

“Where are you and Rey going?” 

“I have not a clue. According to Anakin, a computer picked the destination, then gave the coordinates to two droids. They programmed the ship, each with its own section, then they were sent in two different directions and put into cold storage. The ship will take Rey and me to the pre-selected destination and won’t even re-fire for a minimum of thirty days.” 

Armitage stared out the windows at the city spread out around them. Ben knew he had to be feeling the pressure. While Padme and Anakin took in Hux without questions when his mother approached asking for asylum, Ben knew his friend still felt the strong words and violent rages that Brendol Hux subjected his only son while the boy was only a child. The two of them had spent many nights as boys talking about the problems with their families of origin. Now it was time to put all those resolutions into practice. 

“I feel horrible we weren’t able to throw you a bachelor party. Not that Rey would have allowed it, but we still could have gotten shit-faced drunk and thrown up everywhere.” 

“Another time. Perhaps when you find the right one and marry. Come on, gloom can wait until after the wedding. For now, let’s drink and get ready. This time tomorrow, everything will be completely different.” 

"Ben," Hux asked hesitantly, "are you happy, with this, with Rey?"

Thinking as he allowed himself to be dressed and fussed over, Ben at last smiled at his oldest friend. "I am happy. I thought this would be a disaster, and it still might be. But I'm willing to meet her in the middle, and after this morning, I think she it too. She's someone I can see myself with years from now, still happy and content by her side. Perhaps the absence of her in my life is what drove me to see her in so many wrong women, but no more. My heart is set on Rey."

Ben found himself looking forward to the ceremony as he was waited on hand and foot by several servants, all tasked to make sure the Crown Prince looked the part. Hux poured them each a drink and stood by the windows, watching the skies. Looking for the familiar triangular shape of the First Order ships to materialize above the planet. 

Draining his glass in one move, Ben motioned for another as he stood patiently while his wedding suit was fitted and reminisced on golden skin under wet, transparent linen. 

***** 

Drea leaned against a wall as the seamstresses worked on Rey’s gown. Once belonging to Padme, it was a little big in the corset, as Rey wasn't as 'gifted' in the breast department as her husband's grandmother. 

“Rey, you need to make sure you are doing this for the right reasons. A bond through the Force of this magnitude is eternal. You will never be separated from this man, in this life or the next.” 

She could see how that satisfied the orphan Rey completely. Drea knew how much Rey longed for a family of her own, not one cobbled together according to skill sets by the Qadal. But she also knew Rey’s fears of abandonment and commitment and intimacy. Quietly holding her pains close to the chest, it would only take a few tries for Ben Solo to learn all of Rey’s broken pieces. She only wondered if he were still Light enough to heal them or if his Darkness would further break the teenager. 

Rey blushed and Drea found her heart melting again. This slip of a girl possessed more heart than any three men, and this was a shitty hand Fate and the Jedi had dealt. 

“Drea,” the girl began, “we leave right after the ceremony, right? There’s no time for us to, um, consummate the deal, is there? They aren’t going to force me into anything tonight?” 

“I don’t know, Alsamt. This is a royal marriage, so some forms have to be followed. I will ask the Queen and her daughter what is the proper form in these matters.” 

Bowing, she took her leave and slipped down the hallway to the room where she knew the two Skywalker women were preparing themselves for the wedding. Once allowed inside, she bowed to the two, noting the similarities between the two such as eyes and coloring, but also noting only one had a Force signature – the daughter. 

“Pardon my interruption Your Majesties, but Rey had a question which I feel only the two of you can answer without bringing shame to my Lady.” 

The Queen blushed slightly and smiled at the desert woman. “What is it, Drea?” 

“My Lady is ignorant of what happens between men and women. Normally after a wedding there is a wedding night, but these two are running to escape the First Order. As the Crown Prince is in line for the throne, we assume there must be a confirmation of the validity of the marriage?” 

“I can see how Rey would be embarrassed to ask her maids about our customs, and I’m afraid Obi-Wan is too upset to let her know what to expect.” 

“I’m sure my Lord is much too busy with the upcoming arrival of the Order and Lord Vader to remember his granddaughter.” 

“Yes, but he shouldn’t be. Normally this would have fallen to Rey’s mother but since you are the closest to one she has, I suppose we shall do this among ourselves, as most of the hard things usually are. Women always seem to be the ones to carry the heaviest load."

She pulled out a plain white linen cloth, two-foot square and embroidered with the Skywalker, Solo, and Organa family crests. 

“As Rey guessed, there must be a confirmation of the marriage, but given the circumstances, we cannot waste time with a wedding night here in Naboo. This cloth must be returned to the Historian here in Theed. A DNA scan for Ben's semen and Rey’s blood will be done and accepted as proof. We all know they are soul mates, neither would be able to have sex with another, not voluntarily. In times of war, certain formalities have to be relaxed.” 

“Once the marriage is consummated, they can send the cloth to us by a hyperspace messenger drone. Only DNA will open the drone, delivering the proof safely back to where it belongs.” 

Drea was impressed. “You’ve thought of everything.” 

“Anakin’s thought of it all. I just get to be the bearer of bad tidings. Although it would have been hysterical watching my poor Ani try to talk to Rey about sex. It would be a contest to see which of them would be more embarrassed.” 

All three women laughed at the thought. Drea smiled, liking these women in spite of her misgivings on this marriage.

“She will be relieved that there is no immediate pressure. Rey, dislikes, feeling as though she is a puppet in someone else’s play.” 

Padme looked hard at her, and Drea wondered if she’d gone too far with the regal queen. Curiously, it was Leia who broke the silence. 

“Drea, please let Rey know if she has any questions about tonight or anything else including how to deal with my grumpy son, all she needs to do is ask. I want her to think of me as a friend. I won’t try to be a mother to her, she’s made too much of herself on her own to need one of those more than once or twice.” 

She smiled at the younger of the two royal women. “She is curious about these braids you are putting into her hair. Apparently, there is some tradition about them?” 

Leia smiled while Padme blushed ever so lightly. 

“She’s going to love this part.” Ben’s mother purred. 

***** 

The halls of the Star Destroyer were teeming with storm troopers, officers, and droids of all sorts. Cassabian would have been more interested if he didn’t have the feeling he was being marched to his death. The arresting First Order officer when Dameron had thrown him down the ramp told him Lord Vader was anxiously awaiting him in the throne room. Since when did destroyers have their own throne rooms? 

The suppression cuffs on his wrists were his biggest concern at the moment. Cutting him off from the Force made him feel unbalanced, as if he’d been drinking and then spun around until he wanted to puke. He could still feel the point of Dameron’s blaster against his spine, the pressure reminding him how he’d been played. He threw a prayer to the Mother of Storms, asking for the strength to say nothing. 

Blood red doors swung open, revealing a red room with highlights of black and silver. In the center stood a dais, with an enormous golden throne covered by red velvet upholstery. Standing in front of the chair was a hideous creature, tall, thin, with a destroyed face and eyes that seemed to peer deep into Cassabian’s soul. On his hand was a large black kyber crystal set in gold.

Snoke, he told himself. No other creature could have such a venomous signature. 

Standing at the foot of the stairs was a tall, helmeted man, dressed entirely in black armor. His cape was trimmed in a thin line of red, and the blank, black eyes gave no hint of the creature inside. But Cass needed no introduction to Snoke’s pet Sith. Everyone knew Dark Lord Vader. 

The man his cadre was assigned to kill. 

There is no passion, there is only peace. 

He repeated the line over and over until he thought he might actually be able to do this. Taking a calming breath, he faced the two dark stains in the Force. 

“I’m told someone wanted to talk with me?” 

Even he could hear the crack in his voice. Snoke walked down the steps to look at him closely. 

“You know who I am, Boy?” 

“Yes.” 

“Are you afraid?” 

“No.” 

Snoke chuckled, “Good. We have a lot of work to accomplish before we arrive in Naboo.” 

Cassabian jerked his head toward the malevolent darkness. No, he cannot go there. 

“Oh, I know all about your little cadre, and Alsamt’s assignment. But Lord Vader and I have a little surprise in store for Prince Solo and your little desert mouse. Soon they will both succumb to their darker impulses, and the Sith will begin a new galactic reign that will last ten thousand generations. As the Masters of the Knights of Ren, and Lord Vader’s apprentices, Solo and Kenobi will turn to the Dark Side, or they will die.” 

“In two days' time this fleet will arrive on Naboo but you and Lord Vader will be there well in advance of us. Your job, Cassabian of Endor, is to get Solo and Kenobi out of the palace and away from their security details. Then you will turn them over to Vader and you will be free to go. That’s all we ask.” 

“I will not betray the Qadal. We of the desert do not betray one another.” 

Vader moved at last, turning his faceless gaze toward Cassabian. “But your heart is about to wed another. Surely that is reason enough to bring them to me. If you need more, remember who Solo is, what he’s done, the women with whom he betrayed Rey. Does he deserve to have her when all he will do is destroy her heart and soul?” 

“If he betrays her, Alsamt doesn’t need me to fight her battles. She is more than qualified to remove him from her life.” 

“Perhaps you require a little, encouragement,” Snoke purred at him. “Lord Vader, why don’t you show our youngling the error of his ways?” 

Cassabian felt the guards grab him as Vader waved a hand over his face. Cass quickly realized what the Sith was trying to do and allowed his body and mind to go limp. Instead of sleep, his preparations placed him in a stasis – aware but unable to move. He heard Snoke issue his command the masked Sith. 

“Take him to Naboo, make sure he follows our commands. Once you have both Ben and Rey and they are secure, do with him as you wish. No loose ends, my Lord Vader.” 

“No loose ends, my Master,” the modulated voice replied. “I take my leave now, and shall see you and the fleet in Naboo three days from now. If there are any complications I will let you know.” 

“See to it there are no complications, Lord Vader.” 

Then they were moving, headed back to the hanger. Dameron trotted alongside the taller Sith, trying to strike up a conversation. 

“What about my reward, the bounty on the Endorani?” 

“Follow us to Naboo and you can have you pick of the salvage after we subdue the local resistance. Surely that would be better than mere credits, don’t you think Dameron?” 

“Not really my lord. I would prefer to be several systems away from war. Self-preservation is a wonderful gift. You should try it some time.” 

“Very well.” 

Cassabian could hear clicks on a datapad. 

“All right Dameron, the credits are in your specified account. Now go, and be the coward that you are.” 

“Not a coward, just not a hero.” 

He heard Dameron leave for his own ship as Cass was loaded onto a small shuttle. Soon he could see Vader’s personal destroyer, a sleeker, faster ship than the monstrosity Snoke favored. Once inside, the storm troopers took him not to a cell, but to a small room in a secluded corridor. They threw his inert form on the bed and he heard the locks engage as he slowly regained use of his body. 

Rolling off the bed, he stumbled to the viewport, seeing the blazing white starfield passing by confirmed his fear. 

They were headed to Naboo. 

To her. 

*****

When Drea returned to Rey’s suite, the dressers and make-up artists were finished with the girl, and for a long time the woman could only stare at the beauty before her, remembering oh too well the first moment she’d laid eyes on Reyanna. It had only been three days since the massacre at the outpost, and Rey had yet to speak a word. Drea didn’t even think she’d eaten or slept. Only sat on the bed provided and rocked herself back and forth while holding a small orange clad stuffed animal. 

Her heart wrenched as she compared that scared little waif to the young girl on the cusp of womanhood standing, waiting for Drea’s approval. Rey had attained every goal the Qadal set out for her, always pushing far past the goals set for her growth. But now it was time to step aside, and let the child become the woman. Even if that woman would belong to a man like Ben Solo. 

Drea didn’t trust the Crown Prince. More than once she had seen his whores slipping around the palace, attempting to weasel their way back into his bed. While Kez swore the Prince slept alone since Rey’s arrival on the planet, Drea still felt unsure about this marriage. Rey was too innocent, too young for a womanizer like the Prince. 

She realized Rey was waiting for her to speak, and so quickly threw her musings back behind her mental shields. 

“You look beautiful,” she answered the girl truthfully. “The Prince is a lucky man.” 

Rey blushed and it only enhanced her beauty. She seemed to glow with an inner light Drea only saw on those rare occasions when the girl forgot about being alone and just let herself feel. It warmed the older woman’s heart to know that life hadn’t completely killed the heart of Alsamt. 

“Drea, what did the mothers have to say?” 

Rey was twisting her fingers together, a sure sign of her nerves. 

She showed Rey the cloth, and the girl’s blush could have heating a cooking pot. 

“The Prince will know how to return the cloth to Naboo. There is no pressure, Alsamt. Get to know the man, see if you can both forgive each other for the past. Work toward a shared future. Then when you are both sure, you can share the marriage bed with no fears.” 

Just then, a knock on the door reminded them time was quickly slipping away. Obi-Wan entered, ready to guide Rey to the gardens for the ceremony. As they were leaving, Drea felt a cold desert wind blow across her shoulders. Glancing out the window, she saw a storm building in the mountains above Theed. 

A storm on your wedding day. 

An Ill omen. . .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this seems end with a lot unresolved, but it was either stop here or post the monster chapter from hell. And since I'm ready to move this little adventure along, I made the editorial decision to cut here.
> 
> Next - a wedding, an invasion, and a death.


	13. Broken Promises

“Reyanna, you look so beautiful.” 

Obi-Wan stared at his granddaughter as if he’d never seen her before. Padme’s dress was a pale butter yellow, complementing Rey’s sun-kissed complexion perfectly. Her hair was up in a crown of braids and covered with a short white veil. She reminded him of his dear late Satine, with darker hair. How he wished his wife could be here to see their little Sunshine get married. 

“I know you’re probably still upset with me about this marriage. .” 

“No Obi-Wan. I’ve decided to let my anger toward you disappear like water in the desert. It serves no purpose except to isolate us from each other, and we are all each other truly has left. I will marry this Ben Solo and not kill him and I will try to find peace in this relationship if I cannot have love and happiness.” 

“You don’t know you won’t be happy with Ben. Underneath that closed off exterior is an intelligent, caring, passionate young man. He’s had a rough time, being an only child and the heir to two powerful thrones. He needs the balance you bring. In time, who knows what future you both will share.” 

Rey pulled him into a warm embrace and Kenobi found himself with tears leaking from his eyes. 

“Don’t cry Grandfather. I promise I will look for the positives in this marriage. And I won’t kill him unless absolutely necessary.” 

He knew the look on his face was the reason she burst into peals of laughter. Maker, this child' odd sense of humor would be his undoing.

The garden had been strung with thousands of small white lights, and old Ben guessed there were approximately fifty people, family and close friends only, waiting for the ceremony. Sir Lor San Tekka stood at the temporary altar next to the prince and his best man, Hux. Padme and Anakin were being seated as they arrived, with Leia and Han waiting their turn. The pang of no mother for the bride broke Obi-Wan’s heart. His son and daughter-in-law weren’t here to watch their magnificent daughter join with her soul mate. 

Leia came over to Rey and hugged her tightly. 

“You look lovely, my dear. Ben isn’t going to know what hit him. I look forward to getting all the unpleasantness behind us so we can spend time learning more about each other.” 

“Thank you, Princess,” Rey’s voice was quiet. Old Ben could hear the underlying stress in her tone and his heart melted a little more for his naive little girl, sheltered for so long by the Qadal. He prayed Ben Solo’s wanderlust had finally run its course. He didn't want to kill his best friend's only grandchild.

Han and Leia moved down the aisle to their seats, and it was time for him to escort Reyanna to her groom. He patted her arm and smiled warmly. 

“Well then, my Lady. I think your future is waiting.” 

***** 

Crown Prince Ben Solo’s breath caught in his throat as he saw his bride for the first time. While Rey was always beautiful, something about being in a wedding dress made her intoxicating to his senses. He put his hand over his mouth, afraid he was going to cry at how the Light seemed to glow through her every movement and knowing for the first time this was what love should feel like. For so long, he’s been alone with these emotions he couldn’t contain and now, at last, he knows why things have been so difficult. 

He was missing half of himself. The half named, Rey. 

Her dress wasn’t white, but a creamy pale yellow with lace and crystal trim. Anakin told him before the ceremony it had been a favorite of Padme’s when she was younger, and the dress highlighted Rey’s golden skin to a tee. The plunging neckline gave him more than a hint of her cleavage and hugged her hips before flaring out near the knees. She wore soft white boots and carried a bouquet of Jakku Night Bloomers. 

He blinked, and she was beside him, staring up at him with those laughing hazel eyes, now softer and open with a look of friendship blazing through up at him. The Prince felt he could dive into those deep cool pools and lose himself forever in her gaze. Rey smelled like lavender and sandalwood, and Ben found himself repeating the words San Tekka voiced without listening to anything but the sound of her and the pounding of his own heart. 

Soon, he took her hands within his own, repeating the ancient vows back, speaking without conscious effort. All of his thoughts were centered on Rey, the curve of her neck, the swell of her breasts, the dip in the low of her back. Glimpses of golden skin and goosebumps when her eyes met his threatened to overwhelm his control. He heard her reply, smiled at the youth in her voice, took the golden band from Hux and slid it onto her finger, held out his own hand for her to do the same. Then came the sonic blast that ran through them both as their bare skin lingered together, refusing to be alone now that they had found each other. 

Then he heard the words. 

“You may kiss the bride, your Grace.” 

She was in his arms, her own hands holding light to his biceps as he bent to softly press his lips against hers. A promise, in physical form to cleave only to her. Rey responded in kind, a vow to be only his. He followed with his declaration of devotion, she nipped back, playfully doubting. Only a decidedly unsubtle clearing of the throat from San Tekka reminded him they were still in the gardens on Naboo. As far as Ben was concerned, he and Rey were an island of two. 

Everyone wanted to shake their hands, offer their congratulations, but soon enough they were headed to the dining hall for the wedding feast. As they moved toward the door, Rey grabbed his arm, wanting him to wait a moment. 

“What’s wrong sweetheart?” 

“Do you feel something is off? The Force seems, unhappy for such a happy day.” 

He searched his feelings and recognized the uneasiness she felt. Heavy it rolled like the raging storm clouds from the mountains over everything. 

“I do. What do you think it is?” 

“I don’t know my Prince, but I don’t like it. Where are our light sabers?” 

“In my quarters.” 

“Would it be noticeable if we left to retrieve them?” 

“I’ll send Hux. He’ll be in less demand than you and I.” 

Once inside, Ben found Hux and described the chest containing the two weapons. Hux left to bring them to the dining hall as Ben followed Rey to their seats at the center of the enormous table. The food was exquisite, but neither ate much. Between worry over what was disturbing the Force and the never-ending demands for their attention, it was over an hour later when he was able to circle back around to his best friend. Unfortunately, Hux wasn’t alone. 

His former mistress Bazine was in the hall, demanding Hux take her to Ben. 

The thrice damned harpy was wearing a reddish silk gown that showed the tops of her nipples, and she looked Ben up and down like a predator appraises her next victim. Ben felt ill, wondering what he ever saw in the woman. She had no taste and no manners, even if she did have a body built to fuck. He’d been such an idiot. 

“What the hell is she doing here?” he hissed at Hux. 

“She was trying to get into the wedding chambers.” his friend replied. “No one is allowed in the family wing anymore. Anakin’s orders. I’ve tried twice to throw her out but she keeps coming after me, like a bad memory.” 

“If Rey sees her, I won’t be held responsible for my wife’s anger.” 

“Coward.” Hux smiled and knocked his fist into Ben’s shoulder. 

“Benny,” Bazine attempted to weasel her way closer to him, and Ben found himself backing up quickly until he was pinned against a pillar. “Stop, we need to talk. I’m carrying your child, Benny.” 

At that both men burst out laughing. The woman looked at them in fury. 

“What’s so funny?” 

Ben managed to catch his breath. “My parents had my first implant put in when I was sixteen, and I get boosters every month. There is no fucking way in hell you’re carrying my kid. You need to leave before my wife sees you.” 

Of course, luck wasn’t with him. The moment the words were out of his mouth, a knife whizzed between the two of them, sticking in the wood next to Bazine’s eye. Hux smirked and Ben whipped his head to see his desert storm sauntering in their direction, another knife slipping down her arm to her hand. Off hand, he wondered how many she had hidden under the dress. 

“Oh kriff,” she deadpanned, “I missed.” 

Coming up beside him, Rey pulled on his collar, asking quietly for a kiss, which he was only too happy to provide. Rey opened her lips, allowing him to slip his tongue gently inside to touch hers, urging him to teach her. For a long moment his intentions hovered between devoted new husband and startled bridegroom. Devoted husband won, no question. 

“Hux retrieve our sabers.” 

“What is that diseased whore doing at our wedding?” 

Rey’s face never changed expression, but Ben could hear her thoughts, could feel the anger souring her mood, and hated it. Hated this bitch worming her way into the palace with such an obvious lie. Hated himself for ever entangling with the harpy. But mostly he hated that she’d upset Rey. 

“She was just leaving,” Hux supplied. “She had some things to return before leaving for Yavin IV.” 

“Did you receive these things,” Rey questioned Hux. 

“Yes, my Lady. Library books mostly.” 

“Then show her out, before my other knife flies.” 

Rey stepped forward to pull the first blade out. Leaning closer to the target of her anger, Ben heard the threat Rey whispered into Bazine’s ear echoing in his head through the bond. 

“Show your face again, and I will wear it as a hat.” 

All the color dropped from Bazine’s face and she hurriedly follow the soldiers Hux provided to escort her out of the palace and off planet as quickly as possible. Watching his bride dispatch his previous mistress with such calm Darkness thrilled Ben’s soul. Taking Rey’s hand, he pulled her closer. 

“Is it wrong how sexy that was?” 

“Benjamin, if you touch another woman, I will cut off your cock and feed it to you for breakfast.” 

He believed her. 

***** 

Vader stood on the bridge of his command ship, watching as Naboo grew closer in the viewing window. The ship had accomplished an almost impossible feat, thanks to new engines provided to the First Order by the Corellian School of Engineering, and crossed a three-day trip in one. According to his spies on the planet, the wedding was planned for two-days hence. Two days in which he intended to claim Naboo for the First Order and himself. 

It was time to claim the throne he’d walked away from so many years ago, but in a manner unlike any expected. 

He would gift the planet to his Master, Snoke in exchange for being allowed to take Ben and Rey as his apprentices. Snoke would have a base from which to attack the Mid and Inner Core planets, and Luke would have the future of the Force securely under his tutelage. Eventually they would have to travel, seek out the Sith temples and other Dark sites to learn more. Always more. Then one day Snoke would be gone, and Vader would take his place, re-establish the Imperial Crown of the Galaxy, and allow Ben and Rey to function as his Sith, just as he currently did for Snoke. Then it would be their turn after him to rule. 

For a long moment he considered the boy standing just behind him. The boy who now and forever more would be known as Tolas Ren shielded his thoughts well, but Luke knew what he was thinking. It’s what Tolas was always thinking about. He was thinking of the girl. Luke studied little of the Qadal and their training methods but knew something had transpired between the two in the deep sands of the desert. Something few knew and none acknowledged. But the boy’s mind was wiped, as if his memories of several days were simply non-existent. Even Snoke’s power had been unable to piece the veil surrounding Tolas’ mind. 

The strategy the Supreme Leader and Vader decided upon for this invasion was to let Tolas take on Ben, where he could taunt the prince with his intimate knowledge of Ben’s new bride while Luke himself would overpower the desert assassin. He knew she was supposed to kill him, and it made him smile at the thought. Rey might be strong, but he was Darth Vader. It was not his destiny to be killed by a nobody from nowhere. Even if her last name was Kenobi. 

It seemed an eternity before they were in position on the far side of the planet. Striding across the hanger to his shuttle, Vader felt an eagerness from his Knight. Good, perhaps the boy was finally coming out of the Jedi-imposed fog left from the dissolution of his training bond with Rey. Too bad he would never get to enjoy the fruits of his victory. Leader Snoke had ordered no loose ends and that included Tolas Ren. 

The shuttle touched down outside of Theed, the space-port almost deserted. Quietly Luke and Tolas made their way through the deserted city streets toward the brightly lit palace. Something was wrong. He could feel it in the Force. He motioned for the Captain of his troops. 

“Yes, Lord Vader?” the modulated voice was quiet yet boomed in the still streets. 

“Something is wrong. Be alert.” 

They met no resistance until they were well into the palace. Soon the fighting was pitched and he realized why he felt so off. 

While he’d been in hyperspace, the wedding had apparently already taken place, without anyone’s knowledge. The Balance was already beginning, and he could feel his power keening, like a bleeding kyber crystal. Reaching the dining hall, he swept his hands out wide, throwing the double blast doors open as if they were paper. 

Inside, frozen in the moment, were his targets. With their light sabers already ignited and set for a battle. The two had sensed him and Tolas in the Force and were prepared. Around the perimeter of the room were more than three times the men Vader had with him. No one moved, no one breathed, until Vader saw Padme and Leia on the dais behind the assembled forces, and a strange pain shot through his chest and out his back. 

It had been over twenty years since he last saw his mother and sister, but they were still both as beautiful and angry as he remembered. Hair perhaps a little grayer, but so was his. They always looked so alike in his memories. Anakin and Obi-Wan stood in front of the women, their own sabers ready to protect at all costs against him and his men. That made Luke angrier than he’d been to learn he hadn’t stopped the wedding. Defending his blood against him. As if he were here to hurt his own. That was another reason he wouldn’t fight Ben today. Rey wasn’t blood, only related now by her marriage to his nephew. 

But the time for family memories soon passed, and he remembered his errand. 

***** 

Anakin saw his son headed for the grandchildren and knew he had to protect them. 

“Master Obi-Wan, watch over Ben and Rey. I’m going to get Padme and Leia secured. Make sure the children can get to the ship outside. Don’t let him take them.” 

He knew what his Dark side son would do with the newlyweds, and with his last breath he would defend them against Luke and the twisted persona of Darth Vader that Snoke forced upon the galaxy. Palpatine had left so much Dark knowledge for Snoke to amass, and while Anakin knew he had plenty of the Dark side within his own soul, he prayed his carbon-copy grandson would take to heart the private order to protect Rey above all else. Ben Solo’s temper as a teenager was well documented, back when his command of the Force had been tenuous and at time non-existent. 

Already his wife and daughter scurried toward the panic room in the hall, securing themselves in with Leia using her command of the Force to seal the entrance. Racing back to the chaos, he watched as the young man with his son was revealed to be the missing Blood Guard who trained Reyanna. Now calling himself Tolas Ren, the taunts he threw were swaying his grandson’s balance emotionally and physically, which in turn was distracting Rey who was barely holding her own against Vader. Just then Rey stumbled, and Obi-Wan swung to intercept the red glare of Vader’s saber before it could injury the girl. Grinning, his old Master smiled at the black helmeted nightmare and took on the battle for himself, giving Rey the opportunity to slide out of the main fight, gather herself and catch her breath. Blood ran in a thin line down her right arm from a burn near her shoulder. 

Anakin ran to help Ben, arriving in time to hear the traitor telling Ben horrible lies about his relationship with Rey, and Ben was growing more and more unstable in the Force. 

“Ben, Grandson!” he shouted to get the prince’s attention, “grab Rey and go! Let Old Ben and I handle these two.” 

“But Anakin. .” 

“No Ben! Remember the plans. I’ll be fine, your mother and grandmother are fine. Go!” 

Just then the traitor landed a lucky blow from Ben’s eyebrow down to his shoulder and chest. Stunned at the wound, it allowed Anakin to shove Ben harder toward where Rey now stood trying to keep Vader from killing her own grandfather. She pulled her close, keeping him from falling from the wound. Anakin stared as her Light seemed to envelope the newlyweds in a shield of pure golden beams. The Force manifest as a visible cocoon to protect them from Vader and his troops. 

His grandson stared at the web and then back to Anakin. Ben nodded. 

“I understand now. I love you Grandpa!” 

“I love you too Ben.” 

He returned to the fight at hand, knowing he was about ten years too old for this shit but praying to the Force he and his dearest Master could hold out against his own flesh and blood. 

**** 

Ben grabbed Rey and made for the exit to the rooftop landing pad, using his size and determination, pulling her away from Vader and her grandfather. She fought him every step of the way. 

“No! I can help him!” Tears crowded her beautiful hazel eyes. 

“Rey, we have to go. That’s how we help them. Believe me, I’m not happy about this either but if we left them die and end up get captured any way, then it will all have been for nothing. We can’t dishonor them like that.” 

Vader noticed them running down the hall and let out a loud scream, attempting to pull them back through the Force, but Obi-Wan cut off the Dark sider’s concentration with a blistering attack, allowing them to continue. Ben and Rey cut through the remaining storm troopers easily, gaining the private palace space port to their ship, guarded by Rey’s Blood Guard. 

Just as they gained the roof, Rey clutched at her heart and cried out in pain. She lifted her head to Ben. 

“He’s gone. My grandfather, Vader killed him. Obi-Wan allowed himself to be killed to give us the time we needed to get away.” 

Ben felt his heart turn to stone. Old Ben had been his godfather as well as gifter of his own name and damn it he’d weep for him, later once they’d escaped this trap. Rey however, was quietly falling to pieces. Sweeping her off her feet and into his arms, he approached Kez Marab, one of the Blood Guard captains. 

“Cassabian was in the hall with Darth Vader. He had quite a few choice things to say about his relationship with Rey.” 

The Coruscant native meet his look evenly. 

“Cassabian, or Tolas Ren as Snoke has designated him, is convinced the rule of the galaxy belongs to Snoke and Darth Vader. He has fallen to the Dark side, and is no longer a member of our Order. Nor do I recognize him as the man I once knew lived to ensure the safety and innocence of that girl. Now he seeks her destruction.” 

“Tell me Kez, was he right in the things he said to me about her, about them?” 

“No matter what I say, Prince, you will soon know for yourself the validity of his words. If he lies, then she will bleed for you. If he speaks true then no mating blood will be shed. No other answer matters, your Grace.” 

“Now,” the older man continued, “it is time for you and Alsamt to leave this place. I hear you are almost as fair a pilot as your father. Remember though to let the ship do the work. This girl is right off the line, state of the art, and can sustain you and Rey in space without having to refuel or resupply for up to six months at a time. 

“There are two cloaked beacons on board. They connect with each other, and with Naboo High Command. Use them only in an emergency. Now, go with the night winds at your back.” 

Once onboard, Ben secured Rey in the co-pilot's chair, but didn’t truly expect her to help him. Through the bond he could tell she was barely hanging on. Firing the engines, he did as much without her assistance as he could, but toward the end of pre-flight, she began to rouse, checking her board, running scan, bringing the cannons online. Grief was for later, when there was time to fall apart. This was time to get the fuck out of the system before the rest of the unwelcome wedding guests arrived. 

The preset programming kicked in, and they burst off the planet and quickly jumped into hyperspace before Vader’s ship could track them on scan. Once Ben was certain they were away clean, he turned to his bride. 

“Are you okay, are you injured in any way?” His voice was even and deliberate as it was taking all of his Jedi skills to remain calm, remember she just lost the last of her blood family. His hands twitched to hold her, protect her, avenge Obi-Wan in her name. Anything she wanted. 

Her head slowly turned toward his, and his heart clinched at the misery in her watery eyes. If possible, she looked even younger than her seventeen years of age. Those wide, lonely, passionate eyes would be his undoing, he could see it coming. He was falling hopelessly in love with his wife, and it was frightening and fulfilling all at the same time. 

“He’s gone. The crusty old nerf herder is gone.” Her voice was a mere whisper. 

He grabbed her hand, rubbing tenderly, “I’m so sorry Rey. He meant a lot to me as well.” 

“I know he did. I think I’d like to go to sleep for a while.” 

“Let me help you get settled.” 

They both walked silently to the master quarters. Not as lavish as the Imperial Yacht, the ‘Starshine’ was to be his and Rey’s private getaway. There was room for crew, visitors, but for this voyage, they were comfortably alone. 

Once inside, Ben noticed the rooms were done in a combination of their favorite color schemes, cool greys and desert warm tones. He quickly stripped off his gloves and outer armor. Once the tunic came off, he turned his attention to Rey. 

She was standing in the middle of the room, staring at nothing. Cautiously he eased along the bond to discover she was reminiscing about time spent with her grandfather and how much she wished there had been more. Pulling her close, his arms wrapped around her waist, he whispered in her ear. 

“It’s been a long day, and we’re both wiped out. I’ll give you a choice: a bath and then bed; or a shower and then bed. Which will be it?” 

“A shower is perfect. I think I’d just fall asleep in the tub.” 

Ben chuckled. 

“I think we both would.” 

He helped her out of the wedding dress, now covered with burn marks and blood, until she was in her linen shift only. Ben gently pulled the delicate fabric up until it bunched around her upper thighs. 

Rey’s eyes shot wide open, and she grabbed the wrist he’d managed to slip into the waiting moisture between her legs. 

“Ben, I, I. . .” 

“Shh, it’s okay. I need to hold you and you need to be held. I promise on your grandfather’s memory I won’t take you until you’re prepared but make no mistake Rey, this is not a marriage in name only. I want you, all of you. Nothing less. Let me show you of my love, the things I dream of doing to you only.” 

“Is this need to bed me driven by your own true feelings, or by the doubts that the traitor calling himself Tolas Ren spit at you, causing you to spiral toward the Dark Side?” 

He huffed and pulled away from her. 

“Does it matter? We are and have always been meant to be together. The Force has willed it since we were young.” 

“It matters to me.” 

He cocked his head to one side. She shrugged and continued to remove the linen slip, leaving her clad only in a silky chemise. 

“I want you Ben, but not if you are trying to use me to get back at the world. I don’t want to get hurt. I am you wife, not a part-time bed mate. I demand everything, I don’t share.” 

He crossed the room, gently grabbing her arms with his hands. He noticed how small she was compared to himself. 

“Rey, I want no one BUT you.”


	14. Manuevers in the Dark

Vader watched the light dim in Obi-Wan's eyes and felt a small pang of regret. The man was a legend in the galaxy, a true war hero whose exploits along with his own father, Anakin, had freed the Galaxy during the Clone Wars. He’d given Luke some of his earliest lessons in the Force, especially in meditation and justice. Yet Luke was in no mood to be nice. Not with Ben and Rey slipping through his fingers. Snoke would not be happy. 

Standing, he saw his own father before him, his saber ignited, ready to avenge his former teacher. Even if the price was the life of his only son. 

The words slipped out of Vader’s mouth before he even realized he’d spoken. 

“Look how old you’ve become.” 

“What has happened to you, my son, is far worse.” 

“Supreme Leader Snoke will be here in two days. I strongly suggest you contemplate his terms of surrender. They are more than favorable.” 

“That would be Padme or Leia’s arena. Not mine. I’m only a consort, as you well know.” 

“Where are Ben and Rey heading?” 

“I don’t know and I wouldn’t tell you any way.” 

“I’m sure we can make you change your mind.” 

Anakin snorted, “I highly doubt that. If the Emperor couldn’t crack me what could Snoke do worse?” 

“I don’t think you want to know.” Vader glanced at Tolas Ren. “Tolas, follow the prince and princess. Find the control center, get into the flight computers and see if you can find a copy of their itinerary. Meet me back here as soon as possible. I’m sure General Skywalker can provide rooms for us for the next two days,” 

Growling, his father grabbed his comms unit. “3PO, I need a suite in the guest wing for Lord Vader and his apprentice.” 

“Oh no,” Vader corrected Anakin. “Tolas isn’t my apprentice. That distinction will be held by your grandson and Obi-Wan's granddaughter. The most powerful Force users ever born, and once trained unstoppable in the entire galaxy. I will not rest until I find them, so you should release their information soon, or things might become difficult around Theed, especially once Supreme Leader Snoke arrives.” 

As he spoke, he noticed his father’s color sinking fast. Anakin was no youngster, even if he was strong with the Force. If he were wise, Vader would press his advantage and attack Anakin’s mind, but the walls there were thick and ancient. Ever since the betrayal of Palpatine, Anakin kept his barriers high and thick. Vader doubted even Obi-Wan really knew what went on inside his best friend’s mind. 

Besides, Vader wanted to see his mother and sister again, even if he knew the meetings would be highly contentious. Despite his best abilities to block her out, he still caught snippets of Leia’s thoughts, especially if she were extremely tired or under extreme pressure. He’d even felt her labor as she’d delivered Ben, even though he’d been half-way across the galaxy looking for Snoke. Twin thing, it maddened him that for all his power, he could still feel the sting of his sister’s anger and hurt. 

Once inside the suite, he removed the helmet and shook out his tousled blondish grey hair. Opening the door to the balcony, he stood outside in the darkness and took in deep breaths of his home world. He hadn’t been here, in Theed, in over thirty years. Since Leia’s wedding. She hadn’t known he was on Naboo, but he couldn’t stay away. Snoke called it a weakness but acknowledged that their Bond was unique due to their birth. Luke tried hard to refrain from seeking out his sister but sometimes he was unable to stop the connection. 

Tonight, was one of those night. 

She stood before him, anger radiating like the sun. She sneered at him, hands on her hips as she paced around like a loth-cat. 

“You! How dare you show up here and threaten my son, my only child? Telling our father you’re going to turn the children into your Dark apprentices? Take your shadow and your ship and the rest of the First Order and leave before I do something I might really regret.” 

“Ben and Rey are too powerful to be left alone in the galaxy. All I wish to do is train them to harness their abilities for the good of everyone.” 

“Pretty words, Luke. Did your master tattoo them on your eye lids so you wouldn’t forget? Besides, you and I know Snoke will twist them to his own sordid purposes.” 

“I can feel your anger, Leia but I promise I would never hurt Ben or Rey. They are family.” 

“We all know what you think about your family, don’t we ‘Darth Vader’? Just be glad you aren’t here in person. Mother and I would be kicking your ass so hard and I still don’t think it would knock any sense into you. Snoke is just using you for your power, same as he will Ben and Rey. Once he’s through with all of you, he’ll make sure you are disposed of, thrown away to never bother him again.” 

He laughed at the idea of his tiny mother and sister attempting to hurt him. He’d always been able to wrap the Skywalker women around his little finger. Back when he still cared, back when he was Luke. But now, thanks to Leader Snoke’s teachings, he was so much more. 

He didn’t want to fight with this twin, no matter how much he missed the back and forth they’d enjoyed when younger. Now he simply wanted to look at someone familiar, someone who remembered him before he surrendered to those dark impulses that led him directly to Leader Snoke. He needed to change the direction of the conversation. 

“It feels odd to be in the guest wing instead of the family wing,” he commented as his eyes swept across the distant mountains. “I guess you can’t go home again.” 

“Not after you’ve sold yourself to the Dark,” Leia retorted, without the passion she’d carried only a moment before. He wasn’t the only one who wanted peace not war. 

However, his hurts were more powerful than his ability to move beyond them. “Didn’t you sell yourself to the Organas in exchange for power? I see no differences in our paths. We both did what had to be done to survive once Anakin drove our mother mad with his continuing obsession about her death.” 

The fury on her face was a thing of beauty. If only she would tap into that magnificent Darkness she harnessed without ever recognizing her talent. Perhaps they could have been the Balance the Force required. Of course, their love was not anywhere close to Ben and Rey’s soul mate connection. The Force was determined to try and push the galaxy into its own version of order, and Vader needed to think how to work this to his advantage. 

“Don’t you talk to me about the things I did to survive after you left. You don’t have that right. The Organas were good people, good godparents and I love them for taking in a poor teenager with no direction and giving me a place.” 

“That’s exactly what happened with me and the First Order, Leia. Don’t you see that?” He sighed, and rubbed his hand through his hair. “I don’t want to argue, Leia. It’s been a long and frustrating day. Can we leave this fight for tomorrow when I’ve had a chance to regroup?” 

With a firm handle on his thoughts and emotions, Luke severed the connection through the Force to his twin and returned to staring into the horizon from his balcony. Tomorrow he had to make nice with the people who’d thrown him away for being different. 

He was getting too old for this shit. 

***** 

Rey stood under the water stream in the fresher, trying not to throw up. It was her wedding night, and for the first time in her life she wasn’t prepared for the next stage of her journey. She’d never thought she, the Silence of the Qadal, assassin first class, would ever marry. In truth, she could barely remember the betrothal ceremony, knowing only that the leather bracer she’d worn on her arm since as far back as she could recall was a gift from a man who loved her. 

She was woefully unprepared for the beauty and intensity that was Ben Solo in real life. 

Pouring soap into her hands, she left her hair in the braids Leia’s handmaid had styled before the wedding. Apparently, Ben was supposed to take them out. She wasn’t sure why but Drea informed her of this after meeting with the Skywalker women. Rubbing her hands together she thought about this morning and what Ben’s actions had done to her and what would he ask from her tonight. 

Before seeing that whore at the reception, Rey had thought herself ready for this, for sex with her lawful husband. Now though, she knew she was nowhere close to being able to give a stranger possession of her body. While she’d enjoyed what they’d done in the pale morning light clothed and still riding an emotional high from their fight, Rey wanted to take this slow, grow to know each other as more than physical beings. They were soul mates. There should be more to the connection than mere fucking. 

Turning off the water, she stepped out and grabbed a thick black towel with the crest of the Royal Family of Naboo embroidered on one corner. Was this to be her life from now on, property of someone? No more Rey of Jakku? Dry, she grabbed the nightgown left out on the counter by her maids. Once dressed, she turned to look at herself in the mirror. 

The gown was shimmersilk, swirling like a transparent cloud around her legs. Sleeveless, the neckline dropped shamelessly close to tops of her nipples. The sides were split from her ankles to her thighs, and she could see every line of her body through the priceless fabric. She opened a jar of body crème, letting the sandalwood scent take her mind back to the desert and midnight rides across the open dunes. A different life. A different Rey. 

She realized she’d been procrastinating and had been in the fresher a very long time. If she was lucky, Ben was already asleep and wouldn’t ask anything of her tonight. Rey put her hand on the door knob and took a deep breath. 

‘Here goes nothing,’ she thought to herself, pulling the door open to find Ben. 

Sitting on their bed. 

Naked. 

Oh shit. 

She was so screwed. 

He stared at her like she was a goddess, or had three heads, or some other never before seen oddity in the galaxy. Or his own personal sun. Rey didn’t have much experience with men and their complex emotions. The men in the cadre were different, each assigned to the group for a specific talent. Their emotional walls always held tight against others for fear of someone discovering a previously unknown weakness. In the desert, weakness means death. When it came to Ben Solo, Rey was finding out that weakness meant a pounding heart and a throbbing ache in her core that only his touch seemed to soothe. Weakness was coming home to an emotion she’d never felt before, and it made her uneasy. Nervous. 

“Wow,” he breathed, “you are without a doubt, the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.” He held out his hand to pull her closer to him. “I think this is how I like you best, no make-up, no jewels or masks. Just Rey. My beautiful, sexy Rey. 

She felt the blush start at the top of her head and work its way down to her toes. No man had ever called her beautiful and certainly not sexy. She would have decapitated them for their dishonor. 

“It’s this gown. It would make anyone look good.” 

Ben shook his head slowly. 

“No, I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t look as beautiful in that gown as you do. I can’t wait to take it off of you.” 

Rey bit her bottom lip. Show time. 

“Ben, I have a favor to ask. But you have to promise not to get mad.” 

“Why would I get mad?” 

She held up a finger as she gathered her thoughts. 

“I need you to know I am attracted to you, very much so. However, that being said, I’m seventeen. This is all happening really fast and I don’t know what you want or expect from me in terms of ‘this’,” she gestured to the bed, “and I wanted to ask you if we might take this a little slow to begin? I don’t have a lot of experience with people touching me other than in either anger or training. This is all really new for me.” 

He stared at her for so long she became really nervous. Was he angry, did he think she was rejecting him, again? How else could she have put this, without seeming to be a total bitch? Rey twisted her hands together, a sure sign she was uncomfortable. 

“Rey, come here.” 

His voice pulled her to the bedside. She tried to avoid staring at his naked body, but how could she avoid that broad, well-muscled chest, narrow waist, strong thighs, one of which currently had his massive, half-hard dick leaning against it? Shivers ran up and down her spine and her throat felt scratchy and dry. 

“Sweetheart,” Ben’s voice was low and soothing. His fingers entwined with hers and his thumbs began to rub comforting circles along her hands. “I will do whatever you want, whenever you want. We have the rest of our lives to be together. I won’t feel slighted if you want to just cuddle and sleep. It’s not what I had in mind for my wedding night, but it’s all right. I don’t want you to feel pressured into something you don’t feel ready for.” 

Rey found herself melting into his embrace. It never failed to astound her the way their thoughts aligned without either of them realizing or noticing it happen. She lifted her head and Ben caught her in a kiss, which soon deepened into more and Rey found herself falling into a well of emotions she'd never experienced. Sitting down with her back to her new husband, Ben began gently kissing along her neck and bare shoulders. His hands found the end of one of her braids, slowly pulling loose the hair pin. The braid fell down, and he worked his fingers through the strands, soothing them from scalp to end, his lips not moving her her skin and Rey thought she was going to explode from the heat in her blood, building and twisting with each pass of his lips across her sensitive neck. All thought vanished save for the need to have his fingers and lips on her. Soon Ben tugged gently on the hem of her gown, and she raised her hips for him to gently pull it above her head. 

She felt as though she were flying above her body, watching someone else’s body. Ben’s soft kisses soon left her mouth, sliding down the column of her throat, kissing the hollow at the base of her collarbones, tonguing her nipples until she panted in suppressed need. 

“Rey,” he whispered into her ear, “we should stop for tonight. Before it becomes too much for both of us.” 

She frowned in disappointment. He was right, but oh how she felt ready for more. So much more. . . 

“Okay, Ben. If you’re all right with that.” She nodded her head toward his erect member, currently thrumming itself against her belly. With hesitation, she reached her hand toward it. 

“May I touch you?” 

“Oh sweetheart, Please? You don’t know how many times in the past month I’ve envisioned your hands, your mouth, your pussy, all wrapped around my cock as we’ve fucked a hundred different ways. But I understand your boundaries and reasons, and if it makes it easier for you, I can go to the fresher and take care of this myself.” 

Shaking her head, Rey bit her lip, inspecting her husband’s penis. Compared to the few others that she’d seen because there was no avoiding it at the time, Ben was well endowed, and Rey honestly didn’t know how he was going to fit inside of her. She stroked her fingers along the shaft, her mouth in a smile. 

“It feels like velvet, only hot.” 

He smiled and leaned back against the headboard of their bed. 

“It’s hot from how much I want you. I'm constantly thinking about you, and this morning was heaven. I must confess, my fantasies when it comes to you are rather explicit. Always wanting to just pull you up and watch you ride my cock until you scream with pleasure. Which will happen, I know. But for now, just being here with you, skin to skin, is a dream come true. Do you want to wrap your hand around it, run your fingers up and down, lightly? Learn what I like, how to make my cock happy?” 

Nodding, Rey’s eyes widened when Ben moaned and closed his eyes, as her hand grabbed him and pumped his cock, he leaned back against the wall. The Force seemed to purr around them.

***** 

Tolas Ren found the control room guarded by his old cadre companion, Kez Marab. 

“So you really did sell out to the First Order,” the older man grunted. “I knew I should have killed you when I had the chance.” 

“I was SOLD to the First Order, by the man I was sent off with, Poe Dameron. If I see him again in this lifetime, his head is mine. How long do you think you would survive being tormented by both Darth Vader and Leader Snoke? I survived Kez, something I would think you could understand.” 

“I cannot give you any information Cass. You should turn and go now, save yourself since that seems to be your new imperative.” 

“Why not?” 

“No human programmed the ship and no flight plan was filed with the control tower. The Generals called a ‘blind ship’. Two droids, each with a portion of the map, programmed the ship then were themselves decommissioned and sent to two different storage facilities with no records of their numbers or destinations. Until the ship’s programming allows for them to make contact with Naboo High Command, no one in the galaxy knows where they are.” 

Tolas swore heavily. “Lord Vader is not going to be happy to hear this news.” 

He looked at the chrono hanging on the wall. The ship had left almost fifteen minutes ago, and a quick check with Lord Vader’s crew already confirmed they had gotten no lock on the yacht before it burst into hyperspace. Snoke was going to be furious. 

“Put a warrant out on the ship, information only. Do not approach. Lord Vader or I am to be contacted at once. And make sure you put armed and extremely dangerous on there as well.” 

“Yes, Lord Tolas.” 

He returned to the main palace, where a footman escorted him to his quarters. Lord Vader was still standing on the balcony, staring out across the city. 

Tolas knelt. 

“My Lord Vader, the newlyweds escaped on a custom yacht. We have put out a bulletin for information, follow but do not approach. With the broad intelligence network that the First Order maintains, I feel confident they will be apprehended very soon.” 

“Let’s hope for both of our sakes that is the case, my young friend. Leader Snoke does not tolerate failure in any format.” 

“I wouldn’t call this a failure, my Lord. Naboo and Alderaan have lost their figureheads, both locked inside the palace, unable to call for reinforcements. Their heirs are on the run and will soon be in First Order hands, and General Kenobi is no more. These are all huge gains for the First Order.” 

Vader smiled briefly. “True, young Tolas, but not enough. As long as Ben and Rey Solo are free, hope will live on in the galaxy. The Force users who escaped Darth Vader, they will inspire the Resistance to grow, swaying more systems to their cause. All of which will make Leader Snoke unhappy.” 

Tolas looked out into the night, observing the city below, the lights and the faint noises reminding him of a world outside of the chaos and schemes of politics. A world he wished he was still a part of, still welcomed within. But now, he was worse than an outsider. He was the enemy. 

“This must have been a wonderful place to grow up,” he hazarded cautiously. 

“The planet was wonderful, the people not so much,” Vader responded his gaze never shifting from the horizon. “I wasn’t good at politics like Padme, nor was I as naturally gifted as Anakin with the Force. It’s very hard to live up to the legend of one’s parents when their most brilliant gifts seem to escape you. Leia however, my twin, politics to her is as easy as breathing, so it made sense for her to study with several of Padme’s friends and opponents. Leia loved the travel, and each trip saw her return more and more poised and confident. 

“I, on the other hand, went nowhere. Why should I go to the Temples, when I had two of the greatest Force masters in recent history in my own home? The problems came when I began calling on the Dark to help even out the teenage emotions that often threatened to overwhelm me. Several summers I was sent to Tatooine to help my uncle’s moisture farm and that was torture. It was supposed to teach me to the value of hard work but I all learned was how much my family feared me, feared my curiosity in the Dark side of the Force would lead down the wrong path. Then I accompanied Anakin and Obi-Wan to Coruscant, to the Jedi Temple and questioned by the Council about my interest in studying the Dark side.” 

Vader fell silent, but Tolas knew the rest of that story. Obi-Wan and Anakin presented their concerns to the Council and it was decided Luke Skywalker should be disconnected from the Force for a period of six months to see if he could manage balance without the added influence of other people’s emotions. Panicked, mad with fear and betrayal, Luke killed two Jedi Masters and destroyed several training rooms before escaping in a ship marked with First Order insignia. Six weeks later it was announced that Luke Skywalker had succumbed to injuries sustained during the assault at the Temple. Six months after that, the galaxy began to hear rumors of a new Sith ruling the First Order along with Leader Snoke. 

A masked creature named Darth Vader. 

For several years he snuck around in his down time, looking to see if his family even cared about his fate. The most telling item was that his name was not taken off the programs for the joint birthday celebration of the twin’s birthday. Ever year the day was dedicated to Leia Skywalker Organa Solo, and the memory of Luke Skywalker. Tolas had come once, to see the fireworks and floating lanterns released that night. He’d seen the Princess from a distance, and wondered about the late prince. Standing before the real Luke, he was finding the truth even more bizarre than the rumors. 

Unable to run anymore circles around his thoughts about Vader and his origins, Tolas turned his thoughts to Rey and where she and Ben Solo might be headed. It was a stroke of genius, the way they’d programmed the ship, and Tolas could think of no way around the roadblock. The droids were gone, long sent somewhere for cold storage and once the ship landed somewhere, it wouldn’t power up again for thirty standard galactic days. During which time, keeping Rey away from her husband would be impossible, which means the Balance would happen, no matter how hard Snoke and Vader worked to prevent it. Now all they could do was hope to disturb everything by turning Rey to Dark side. 

“When Snoke arrives,” Vader broke into his revelry, “keep your feelings about Rey to yourself. I can see the Supreme Leader instigating a fight between you and Ben for the right to breed Rey. He wants more strong Force users under his control. It blinds him in several key areas.” 

That was the moment that Tolas realized that Lord Vader’s agenda and Snoke’s were not the same.


	15. Riding the Storm

Armitage Hux was desperate. 

The day had begun with such promise, Ben and Rey marrying early the only bright spot in this otherwise shit-filled storm he was about to ride into. He felt a cold chill settled into his spine, turning his guts to water The First Order was coming, which meant his father was on the way. The last time Hux saw Brendol, the man broke his arm and gave him a concussion. 

Hux was three. 

Queen Padme long ago promised Hux he didn’t need to join the rest of the Palace Guard if this were to ever happen, but now that the moment was at hand, he knew he couldn’t leave the men and women he’d drilled and trained and bled with alone to face Grand Marshall Brendol Hux and his child soldiers. No, despite his gut-clenching fear of facing his father again, Hux knew he would feel even worse if he were to abandon his post. 

Running along the corridor to his quarters, he felt a familiar jolt of ice run up his spine. There was someone following him, someone who didn’t want their presence known to the entire palace. He slid quietly along the hall, hugging tight to the shadows. Outside he could hear the sounds of a city breaking into panic. The word was spreading, Darth Vader was at the palace, the Crown Prince and Princess on the run, the Queen locked in her security chambers along with her daughter. It was time for the city to evacuate. Those who could were blasting off for safer planets, those without the means to leave were headed for the blast tunnels in the mountains. 

He opened his door, closing it quickly behind him and throwing the bolt. He crossed to the balcony doors to assure himself they were locked. Only then did he allow himself to relax. The battle against Vader’s storm troopers had left him weary and he longed for one more good night’s sleep before facing Brendol. Unfortunately, he didn’t think it would happen. 

Stripping, he threw himself into bed, pulled the blankets over his head and willed himself to sleep. Too many emotions crowded his mind for rest, even when he attempted to recall Anakin’s meditation lessons. With a groan he watched the night hours slip away. It seemed only moments later when he felt a breath at his ear, and the chill of steel at his throat. 

“Did no one teach you to beware visitors in the night, baby brother? They’ve raised you too soft here in the heart of the royal dogs.” 

His eyes flew open. Staring into his face was a woman, only a few years older than himself. Her hair was the same red flame as his own, but her eyes were deepest brown, almost black. She wore the deep black uniform with red insignia of an officer of the First Order Red Squadron, Vader’s own shock troopers. 

“Annara?” 

“In the flesh baby brother.” 

“How did you get in here?” 

She sniffed and sat back on his bed. “The security around this palace tonight is in shambles. The Queens are still locked behind blast doors, the great Obi-Wan Kenobi is no more, Anakin Skywalker is old, and Vader is in the guest wing. Your friends are all shitting little bantha turds, Tige. It’s glorious.” 

“Why are you here, is I guess what I meant to ask? You’ve made your feelings about the Force and the Light well known. Did you have a falling out with Brendol?” 

Hux couldn’t bring himself to say ‘father’. 

Her laugh reminded him of their mother, like glass tinkling in the silence. 

“Oh no, baby bro. I’m on a mission. I arrived on Lord Vader’s ship. We raced across the galaxy to reach here before the wedding but I saw the newlyweds blast off into hyperspace. Lord Vader briefly appeased his anger by removed Obi-Wan from the ranks of the living but all his will is bent on finding his prey. However, there is a small problem to be solved. Apparently,” the lack of interest in her voice betrayed her intentions. “Apparently, no one knows where they have gone. Some nonsense about droids and missing maps?” 

“No Annara.” 

“No what, Tige?” 

“No, I don’t know anything. Even if I did, I wouldn’t tell you. Ben and Rey don’t deserve to be pursued like animals simply because they’re strong with the Force.” 

“To be Lord Vader’s apprentices will be a high honor. It will make them the third highest people in the First Order, after Lord Vader and Father.” 

“What about Snoke?” 

“Snoke is Supreme, and therefore over all. But he is mortal, one day Lord Vader will ascend to the throne, and your friend and his wife will be the heirs in waiting.” 

Suddenly she lurched forward, grasping his hands within her owns, a light shining in her eyes with a fanatical gleam. The bottom fell out of his stomach, and he felt like a mouse staring into the unblinking stare of a viper. 

“Come with me Tige, join me as Father’s heirs. Learn to rule the military might of the First Order with me. Take your place beside Father and me.” 

Hux’s jaw dropped. 

Brendol sent the one person he knew Armitage Hux wouldn’t refuse, his sister, to drag him back to hell. 

“You’re mad, Annara! Brendol despises me. He’d rather I fell into the event horizon of a massive black hole before he’d let me on the bridge of one of his precious destroyers.” 

“Brendol isn’t making this call, I am. On behalf of Admiral Sloane. As Father moves up, she takes the place he vacates. She’s been watching you for years, thanks to me you’re welcome, and she wants you to command her elite strike teams. With the Admiral behind you, and me beside Father, in no time at all we could have our own ship, own troops, begin to really affect change in the galaxy. Fulfill our father’s dream.” 

“I have no desire to do anything that furthers that man’s twisted notions of loyalty and blind devotion. I don’t know how you can stomach it, Ann, I really don’t.” 

Her face was blank as she listened to his tirade, but Hux could see the flick of unease in her eyes. She knew. Everyone knew Brendol walked a fine line between madness and sadistic insanity. But for some unknown reason, Annara was slavishly devoted to their bastard of a father, the only flaw in the otherwise flawless character that was his older sister. Half-sister, he corrected himself. But a sibling none the less. 

“You won’t have to interact with Father much, we can stay part of the Admiral’s staff as long as possible.” 

Her face wavered for a moment and he saw the unending loneliness in her eyes. 

“I miss you baby brother. Isn’t that reason enough to come with me?” 

He stared into the madness and wondered when it would consume him? 

**** 

Ben drifted to awareness of something warm and soft nestled in his arms. The hair which tickled under his nose wafted hints of sandalwood and jasmine through his senses and imprinted on his brain. “MATE”. Without a thought he ground his morning hard-on against the warmth pushed against him. 

Opening his eyes, he noted his new wife was sound asleep, breathing heavily her eyelids indicating she was dreaming. Nudging along their bond, he caught hints of him, desert nights, sand ponies, and kissing under the stars. He smiled to himself, she liked him. She was dreaming of him within her world, and his heart expanded a little more at this amazing creature to whom he’d been bound. 

He settled back against the bed and thought of their escape from Naboo, and Rey’s loss. Though she hadn’t said anything as of yet, he could feel her sadness as an ache in the back of his mind, their bond beginning to expand and strengthen the more time they spent together. Once they finally united in body as well, their thoughts would become each other's, no secrets between them. Lying with Rey in his arms, the physical side of their relationship began to pull at him, a need in his groin he’d not felt before. Not a hunger, he knew that feeling quite well. It led to meaningless coupling and dark emotions of self-disgust as he wasted time waiting for Rey to grow up. 

That was how he viewed his previous conquests. Meaningless. Even now, without having been inside her, he felt the rush of bringing her immense pleasure tingling in him, stoking his desire until it felt unending. Heat bloomed in his blood, and he ran his lips along her shoulder, small kisses to the curve of her neck, where he pulled her skin between his teeth and rolled it gently, just enough pressure to roust her from slumber. 

She took a deep breath, then rolled toward him, her face flush with sleep. 

“Good morning, husband.” 

Her voice was husky and low, sending flames up his spine. 

“Good morning wife. Did you sleep well?” 

“Honestly?” 

“Of course, I want us to always speak truth to one another.” 

“I’ve never slept as well as I did in your arms last night. I’ve suffered from nightmares, ever since the massacre. Seeing what was done to the people of the Outpost. My first days at the Qadal. Life growing up in the wastes of Jakku. So much fodder for bad dreams. But last night, I only dreamed of you, of us. Of our life together.” 

She blushed so prettily, so innocent, his heart swelled with love. Pulling her up to his lips, he kissed her as all the submerged passion he’d repressed since the day she’d landed on Naboo flooded his senses. He plundered her mouth as his hands ran along her sides caressing her golden skin. The moan that escaped from her lips was gasoline to his heated nervous system and he pulled back to stare into the depths of her gorgeous eyes. 

“Rey, tell me you’re ready for this? It’s killing me, this need, this want, for you is intoxicating. Tell me you feel this too.” 

“I think so. I’ve never felt toward anyone like I do toward you. I want to know all about you, I think of you, even when I shouldn’t, and when I think of you with another, I want to slice their throat and let the sand drink their blood. Is that love?” 

“I don’t know.” 

Her eyes searched his, he didn’t know what she looked for but she must have been satisfied, as she reached her hands up to cup his face, running her thumbs lightly across his lips. The bond between them hummed in perfect accord and the look on her face made his heart pound in his chest as all the blood in his body ran south and his mouth felt filled with the sands of her home. 

“Teach me about love, my husband.” 

His ears ran with her words as he fell to worshiping his desert storm, his wife. 

His Rey. 

***** 

Anakin felt as though he’d been run over by a herd of stamping bantha, and the mere effort of opening his eyes seemed a monumental task. He stopped struggling for a moment, and began to count the many ways he’d failed yesterday. 

He failed to stop his son. Everything from that point on was only collateral damage, fallout from the main problem, he failed to keep Luke save from Snoke’s horrific mind invasions which tore Luke away from the Jedi Academy, from Master Yoda in a vain attempt to be an individual and not the son of the famous Anakin Skywalker. Every other sin, every other failing could all be traced back to that singular issue. 

Now his Master, his best friend since he was a teenager was gone, a part of the endless Force, and the First Order was poised to invade his wife’s home world while his grandson and new bride were Maker only knew where hiding from Darth Vader, the Sith Master of the First Order and his wife and daughter where in the palace panic room, unable to leave until things were settled. Especially now that Anakin was down. 

Groaning loudly, he managed to roll up to a seated position on the side of the bed. He shuffled into the fresher, and stared at himself in the mirror. His chest was a mass of bruises as were his arms and back. Concentrating he managed to heal most of them, though a few were too extreme. It was enough however. He would shower, dress and visit with Padme and Leia, plan what to do about Snoke and Luke. 

But at the back of his mind, as he made the funeral arrangements for Obi-Wan, he wondered about Ben and Rey, if they were safe, where they were. He needed to rebuild the walls in his mind. Snoke and Luke were both Force users who would attempt to rifle through his mind for information. In his youth, Anakin’s walls were impenetrable, though it had been a long time since he’d had to shield himself against the Sith. 

He was getting too old for this shit.


	16. Solar Wind

Snoke’s flagship appeared in the skies above Naboo thirteen hours ahead of anticipated arrival, but the planet was prepared. The planet was secured, the military on the alert, though no overt gestures had been made from either side. Leia stood beside her mother in the secured rooms of the palace, searching the Force for any sign of Ben and Rey’s unique signatures, fearing the worst when she came up empty. 

After her conversation with her brother, Padme found Leia sobbing in a corner, allowing herself one single moment of a full-blown pity party. But staring into her mother’s own deep brown eyes, so like her son Ben’s expressive orbs, Leia was reminded again of who she was, who she represented to the galaxy at large, her own people specifically. A symbol. A promise that someone would always protect and care for those under their banner. Taking a deep breath, she tried to center her racing thoughts. 

“Leia, are you all right? Were you just speaking with, Luke?” She heard the hesitation in her mother’s tone. Padme was by no means Force sensitive, but she’d lived with sensitives and gave birth to two talented children and knew when their attention was elsewhere. 

“Yes. He’s determined to take Ben and Rey with him to teach them the Dark Side of the Force. He’s mad, Mother. I see no light in him anymore. Snoke has truly twisted him into the monster the galaxy knows as Darth Vader.” 

“Then we have to pray that the children remain hidden in the Force for as long as possible. Your father is alive, so is Han. They have the palace on lock-down, but Luke is in the guest wing, along with his Knight. The funeral for Obi-Wan will be tonight. How I wish Rey could be here.” 

“No, Mother. We cannot give any indication that we could influence the children to return, or Snoke will make full advantage of the fact. Invite my brother to have lunch in the gardens. Too public for an assassination, but still removed from the bugs of the palace. Anakin can join us, Han too. The more public the spectacle, the less harm he can do.” 

“Are you sure about putting Luke and his father in the same room? There is no scenario I can picture in which that ends up well.” 

Leia poured herself a cup of wine, well-watered. “I honestly don’t know.” 

Where were Ben and Rey? 

***** 

Throughout her youth in the desert, Rey learned to associate the ever-present winds with her changing emotions. Hot dry mistrals that scourged the soul were balanced with the rare wind rains, that brought precious moisture from deep springs deep in the planet. Life stealing haboob storms were followed by the blissful silence of the spring nights of peace when no wind broke the cool evening air. Push and pull, hot and cold, life and death, all opposites that created the dynamics of life throughout the galaxy. 

Lying in Ben’s arms, she felt the Force moving around them like a second skin, caressing her skin wherever his lips and hands were not. Opening her mind completely to the bond, the fever in her belly moved lower and settled between her thighs, leaving Rey frustrated and whiny, two aspects of her personality that left quite a bit to be desired. 

Ben, feeling her emotions through the bond, paused in his exploration of her neck and gazed into her eyes. She felt he could see straight into her soul. 

“I love you,” his whispered, his lips trailing kisses from one side of her neck to the other, sucking a small necklace of bites in a circle as he went. “Since the moment you stepped off the shuttle, I’ve wanted to be here, in your arms. Nowhere else.” 

She blushed under the intensity of his eyes. 

“I apologize for the less than kind things I’ve said about you. I want us to start this marriage with all the anger and mistrust of the past dead and behind us. But know this, we must have no secrets between us. It is my believe that secrets will lead to mistrust, a path we cannot survive. Promise me you will keep no secrets.” 

“But what about your secrets, Alsamt, will you share those with me?” 

She kissed him, lightly, pulling back to smile at him. “I have no secrets Benjamin. I am an open book. My name is Reyanna of House Kenobi, I’m from Jakku, and I am married to the most beautiful man I’ve ever met and I’m falling in love with him more and more every moment we are together.” 

His kiss stole her next sentence, and Rey was content to let go of her thoughts and let the electric impulses racing through her body direct her actions. His arms held her close as his lips murmured sweet words she couldn’t quite hear over the wind blowing through her mind. The wind whipped the raw nerves of her ardor and made her pant with need but when his fingers slipped down her abdomen toward the cleft of her legs the wind slowed, leaving nothing but Rey and Ben and the heady anticipation of destiny. 

She ran her fingers through his silken locks as she concentrated on the gentle slid of his thumb over her clit, not in any pattern, just a random pressure that shifted her universe and the roar in her ears became a cacophony of sound and touch. Breathy moans became quiet cries as Ben slid first one and then two of his long, thick fingers inside her and Rey arched her back when the combined motions steadily brought the tightening in her stomach to a complete shattering of her being and she realized she was chanting her husband’s name as she grasped him tightly and rode the long sweeping zephyr of her orgasm. 

Returning to herself, Rey opened her eyes and stared into the deep rich brown orbs of her husband. 

“Are you still with me?” he smiled gently as one hand pushed her sweaty hair off her forehead. 

“Wow. That was just, wow.” 

“You have to tell me if something makes you uncomfortable or hurts too much. I know there’s quite a size difference between us and I don’t want, I mean, I want this to be pleasurable and the first time can be awkward.” 

“I trust you Benjamin.” 

He knelt between her thighs, gazing down at her until Rey felt the uncomfortable urge to cover herself. She moved her hands to do so, only for Ben to grab each wrist and pin it firmly back to the bed. 

“There is no need for you to cover yourself from my eyes, my little fury. You are magnificent, the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. I intend to worship your sweet cunt every day for the rest of our lives.” 

“I love you, my husband. I am your, only yours.” 

The thick head of his cock slipped through the lips at her entrance, retreating and returning to coax more slick from her already sopping pussy. Slowly, with each return, Ben slid deeper and deeper, his eyes fixed on hers as if he didn’t trust her to let him know if he hurt her. With a deep breath, she relaxed into the push, allowing his thick cock to open her, pausing to let her channel adjust to the invasion. 

He reached her barrier, and moved from leaning on his forearms to his hands, taking them to twine their fingers together, their eyes never breaking contact. His hips thrust forward hard, and Rey whined as the membrane stretched and ripped and Ben bottomed out deep inside. 

“Are you all right?” The strain in his voice betrayed the effort must be taking for him to withhold. “Sweetheart, please, are you all right?” 

“Getting there. You can move slowly in small increments if you need to.” 

He kissed her forehead, and Rey closed her eyes to focus on the sensation of his hips moving back and forth against her in small thrusts, his pubic bone hitting just right against her already sensitive clit. Soon the sharp pain dulled into something much more demanding, warm and tingling in her belly and she started to pant through her mouth, each inhale bringing into precious lungs full of Ben’s rich and heady scent, mixed with the spice of her own arousal. 

With each thrust Ben began to pull further back, thrust deeper inside, and Rey found her hips rising to meet him with each one, bringing him to smile down at her, warm affection shining through those warm eyes. 

“That’s it, baby. Let instinct take over. Damn, Rey. You’re so tight.” 

“Is that good?” 

He chuckled. “Yes, baby doll. That’s very good. Feels very good on my cock.” 

“You feel so good inside me, husband.” 

Ben dropped back down to let his elbows support him, his gazed breaking from her eyes only as he bent his head to suckle on each nipple, swiping his broad tongue over each before lightly grazing them one at a time with his teeth. 

Rey threw her head back, pushing her breasts up closer for his adoration. Her thoughts were spinning in all directions and as each thrust send wave after wave of pleasure through her nervous system, Ben lifted his head and nipped her ear lobe with his teeth, his warm breath in her ear causing goosebumps all over her skin. She shivered in his arms and her cunt clenched around him, a mini orgasm pulsing through them both. 

“Fuck Rey, you keep doing that and I’m going to cum way too soon.” 

“But you feel so good. I don’t ever want you to leave.” 

“I can’t stay forever. We do have lives you know.” 

“I know,” she stared up at him through her lashes, studying his strong profile. “What can I do to help you feel good?” 

“Baby doll, feeling your cunt around me is all I need at this moment. You feel up to something different?” 

“Like what?” 

He pulled out and she pouted at the loss she felt. Ben turned her onto her belly pulling her hips up to meet his, then pushing between her shoulders as he thrust back inside. She moaned at the change inside her. He was going so deep all Rey could do was open her mind and let him feel her pleasure. At once he bent over her back, teeth biting gently on the back of her neck. One hand snaked around her waist, headed south to her clit. 

There was no mindless pattern this time, as Ben pulsed his thumb to the thrust of his hips. Suddenly the place in her mind where the bond lived burst open and she could feel Ben as though she was Ben and Ben was her. Two pieces from one soul, ripped apart lifetimes ago, always circling through the Force, desperate to find one another again, striving always to be together again. Two people, one soul longing for balance, peace. 

“Ben!” she shrieked as the force of their combined orgasm pushed through her body, causing her to thrash underneath his weight, her body shuddering in waves. Behind her eyes she could see pure white Light rising from her, spiraling upward over them. From Ben came a thick, viscous Dark twisting toward her Light. The two Forces joined together, weaving between them an unbreakable single entity. Dark, Light, mixed into a rich and vibrant fabric of the living Force and as she felt Ben’s spend warming her inside, the mantle draped over them both and sank into their bodies. 

She felt boneless, as if she floated in the sky like a cloud. Her thoughts were silent, a low hum all that was physically possible at the moment. Ben wiped his fingers across her cheeks and she realized that he was wiping tears. Immediately she could feel concern from his side of the bond. 

“I hurt you, didn’t I?” 

Words were still too far beyond her current capabilities, so she pushed her thoughts to him. 

~No, not at all. I’m simply beyond the ability move right now. That was amazing. ~ 

He replied in kind. 

~ Good. Glad it wasn’t traumatic or painful. I wanted our first time together to be special. ~ 

~ Congratulations. You succeeded. I think I need a nap. ~ 

He kissed her deeply. When she pulled back, he smiled. 

“Why don’t you nap while I go see what I can find for breakfast?” 

She nodded, then frowned as he pulled slowly out, a flood of their combined fluids dripping out to stain the cloth Padme had provided. Ben blushed as he pulled the corner up to wipe Rey’s crotch. 

“I’ll get this into the message drone too. Rest my love. I’ll be back shortly with breakfast in bed.” 

As he went to leave the bed, Rey grabbed his hand. He looked down, questions in his eyes. 

“Promise you will never leave me.” 

His expression softened and he knelt down to kiss her forehead. Pulling the covers up over her thin, naked body he smiled. 

“I promise.” 

*****

Darth Vader strode down the hallway of the guest wing in the Royal Palace in Theed, headed for the family dining area and lunch with his family. Just a few hours remained until Supreme Leader Snoke would arrive on planet with the rest of his staff and the time for a diplomatic solution will be gone. He needs the Royal Families to concede now, before Snoke has time to make good on his threat to use the First Order’s newest weapon and force their capitulation. 

Suddenly it felt as if the Force had thrown a weight around him. His thoughts were cloudy and the pain associated with his connection to Leader Snoke went dim. He came to a stop in the hall, no longer certain of where he was or what he was doing. 

This was the Royal Palace. He recognized the marble floors, the painting and tapestries of his childhood. He was on his way to lunch. 

What happened? He looked around and saw nothing in the immediate area. He felt something on his face and reached up. When he brought his glove down he noticed the bright blood from his nose and knew what was wrong. 

Ben and Rey had consummated their union. 

The Balance had begun. 

Time to up the game.


	17. Solitude

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little shorter, because the next is massive.

Ben sat in the pilot’s chair, staring out the viewer at the white star field of hyperspace flashing by, his eyes fixed inward as he pondered all that had transpired over the past few days. 

Rey was sleeping again, physically worn out and emotionally grief-stricken at losing her grandfather. His cock however, stirred happily as he thought over their morning and recalled the way she writhed and moaned in his arms. Despite his size, he’d fit inside his petite bride as if she were born specifically for just that one thing, and the rosy pink blush that spread from her face to her breasts as she came beneath him put sunrise over Naboo to shame. He looked forward to spending more days in bed getting to know every inch of her golden skin. 

Now however, he had a more urgent need – information. The computer was decidedly less than helpful in revealing anything about their destination other than the fact they would arrive in less than eight hours. Scanners showed they were headed for the Unknown Regions, which meant any information he might have from his studies would be scant, broad based at best. That wouldn’t do. Not with Rey’s life to protect as well as his own. 

Closing his eyes, Ben allowed his senses to slip into the computer, studying the lines of code, allowing his brain to sift through the knowledge until he could extrapolate the destination. The first Jedi Temple. On a watery planet dotted with thousands upon thousands of islands, some inhabited, most empty and wind swept. There was life in the oceans, on the larger mainland and in the skies. They could hunt, fish, live off the berries and roots native to the land. The island they were aiming for appeared to have several large dwellings, but was some distance from the market and city center of the natives. 

Scrubbing his hands across his face, Ben took a deep breath, exhaling slowly and pulling a datapad to his lap. Now that he had the basic information, he could begin planning for the next step, the step after the thirty days when the computer would unlock the engines and allow them to travel again. According to his investigation, the droids had loaded up all the navigational charts they could find of every quadrant in the galaxy. The First Order and Darth Vader would be on the lookout for them, no matter what direction they ran. He wanted to run as little as possible, find a planet to fortify and defend until such time as it was safe to return home. 

Maker, he hated running but his grandfather had been right. Even together they were no match for Darth Vader much less Supreme Leader Snoke. They needed more training, more time working together as a team. Rey’s fighting style was tactical, she moved with every step, each slash with her lightsaber and blades, aimed toward victory. She was fast, small, and lethal, the perfect complement to his broad all-out assault style that suited his longer reach and towering height. Once they learned to coordinate their attacks, they could be unstoppable. 

On the pad he began to outline a training schedule. While he was unfamiliar with the concepts which the Qadal taught their students, he could tell there were places where their doctrine varied greatly from the traditional Jedi methods he’d been taught since childhood by both Obi-Wan and Anakin. Was it possible for them to marry the two styles together and create a method which would work for them both? Opening another screen, he linked to the holonet and did a quick search on the Qadal and their philosophy. 

He spent several hours in the cramped cockpit, browsing, making notes, thinking on their next steps. There were several possible planets that fit his requirements so he made notes to share with Rey. They would make this decision together; Ben had already decided. They needed to work on becoming one unit, despite their differences in age and beliefs. Slowly, he became aware of his wife rousing from sleep. Then, through the bond, he recognized Rey was fully awake and in the fresher. A moment later he realized, she was crying under the running water of the shower, sobbing as if her heart was broken. 

Throwing the datapad into the other chair, he raced to the bedroom, his anxiety fearing her tears were for the worst of reasons. 

Regret. 

***** 

Anakin sat at the small desk in his personal chambers, staring out the balcony door at the rain clouds racing toward Theed from the neighboring mountains. It felt as though the entire planet were mourning the loss of their Prince and Princess, but the loss Anakin felt most deeply was that of his master and dearest friend, Ben Kenobi. While his heart burned with anger over what the First Order wanted with the children, Obi-Wan had known him since he was a boy, had been there through his best and worst moments, and lent his name to Anakin’s grandson. Whatever was he supposed to do now? How would he save his family against Snoke, the First Order, and his own son by himself? 

He could feel the familiar Dark rising inside him, a black viscous morass twisting and clawing from his belly toward his heart, and wondered how was he to withstand the pressure without Kenobi’s calm gentle nature to help him keep one foot always firmly entrenched in the Light. Picking up his glass of citrus juice, he groaned as the pain in his limbs from yesterday’s fight returned. An echo of the past he was beginning to find coming back more and more. Though he’d defeated Palpatine, taken away the Sith’s primary target for an apprentice, he’d failed to kill the traitor, allowing him to escape to the Wild, allowing him to find Snoke, twist Luke to the Dark side, and now that singular failure was coming back to haunt them in unspeakable ways. 

He knew why Snoke wanted Ben and Rey, knew the significance of their bond, and it both angered and dismayed him. Just like Sidious, Snoke thought only of personal power, and keeping the two strongest Force users in the galaxy as his pets likely appealed to the dark sorcerer’s need for control. But they weren’t ready. They hadn’t had time to prep the two for what the bond between them truly meant, what it could do for and against them. For not the first time, he prayed that the children would be strong enough in themselves, in their love and their connection, to resist the temptations he was sure Snoke and Vader would lay out before the them. 

Suddenly he felt the Force moving with the rush of an oncoming zephyr. It swirled around him, caressing his bruised cheeks and aching muscles. It was like children’s laughter on a spring morning, or the crispness of a summer storm. He could feel every hair on his body stand from the electricity in the air. He leaped from his chair, age and frailty left behind as he raced onto the balcony. Every tree, every flower, every fucking blade of grass on the planet was bowing and waving in the face of the untempered Force storm. He grabbed the edge of the balcony and breathed deeply of the fresh air, scented with lavender and frankincense. 

A loud clap of thunder caused him to jump, and then the heavens opened up and down came the cloudburst as the mountain storm descended upon Theed. 

Smiling, Anakin lived his eyes toward space. He felt the blood running from his nose mixing with the cool rainwater and dripping down his face, but ignored the crimson stream as he sent his love, strength, and pride out into the ether, knowing the Force would relay his sentiments to Ben and Rey. 

The Balance had begun. 

***** 

Poe Dameron sat at a table in the back of Maz’s castle on Takodana, people watching as he usually did. Gossip around the backwaters of the galaxy said the First Order was finally making their move to solidify power in the Mid Rim before attempting to subdue the major Core Planets. If that particular rumor were true, the safest place for a smuggler like him to hang out would be as far from the Core as possible. He still owed General Brendol Hux intelligence from his last run-in with Alderaan's Han Solo, but decided that piece of information was going to the highest bidder. If that was Hux great, if not, well then business was business. 

He noticed the First Order spy the moment she walked in, simply because Poe had never seen the woman before and she in no way looked like the normal women who flowed through Takodana. She was no whore, nor was she a pirate or smuggler. If he had to take a wild guess, he would suspect she was an assassin, a no one. She was petite, with shoulder length black hair and black eyes. Her expression was hard, life had made it so, and he wondered how she fell in with the First Order – by choice or by lack of one. She made the connection with his eyes, and nodded her head once. 

Sitting down across from him, the woman grabbed the bottle of brandy from the table and took a swig straight from the bottle. Holding it in her hand, she leaned across the space between them. He noted a small flower tattooed on the inside of her left wrist, a red rose. The smile on her face raised the hair on his arms. It was like watching a mongoose smile at a cobra. This woman might be small, but she was deadly. 

“Dameron?” 

“Tico?” 

With identities established, Tico began to lay out his next assignment. 

“The Supreme Leader is searching for his wayward apprentices. Word is they fled Naboo in a ship bound for nowhere. You familiar with the area?” 

“Darlin’,” he drawled as he poured himself another shot of the brandy, “it’s your lucky day. Nowhere is my stomping grounds.” 

“Excellent. You are not to apprehend; they are too dangerous. Simply place this tracker on their ship.” She placed a device no larger than a spark plug on the table. “Internal or external, it makes no difference. Just make sure they don’t leave the dock without that tracker. Snoke will make sure the funds are deposited into your account on Canto Bight once he has confirmation that the tracker is online and broadcasting.” 

“And if I’m caught?” 

The woman smiled at him, and Dameron could feel the knife slicing across his throat. 

“Don’t be.” 

At that the petite beauty stood, tossing down the tracker, and several credit chits. 

“Here’s an advance. Use it to buy yourself an alibi. You’re going to need one.” 

Dameron looked up at her, puzzled. “What for?” 

She smiled at him again. 

"Everything."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next -  
> Snoke comes to Naboo  
> Luke and Leia argue  
> Space smut


	18. Family and Futures

As morning broke over the planet and Luke prepared for lunch with his family, the large shadow of Supreme Leader Snoke’s flagship, the 'Supremacy', appeared in the sky. In Theed, the mood was somber but determined. Already the populace had begun quiet evacuations to the safety of well-secured blast tunnels in the mountains, and Alderaan was sending troops and supplies to assist in the preparations for a siege. 

Luke strode into the family gardens, noticing as he did guards hidden in various spots throughout the landscaping. Just by extending his senses he counted fifteen, five of whom were Force sensitive and carried light sabers. He smiled to himself. He must have really pissed off his family if they were using sensitives. Prior to this, the only sensitive around the Royal Families were Anakin, Obi-Wan, and his nephew Ben. Now Obi-Wan was dead by his own hand, Ben and his new wife were on the run and his father – well, Luke hadn’t seen him since the previous evening. 

The blood had stopped pouring from his nose, but the sense of being off-balance remained. He didn’t feel weak, just unsteady, as if he’d been on a three-day drinking binge. If Snoke were correct, they now had six months before the Balance would become permanent. Six short months in which to located, subdue, and retrain Ben and Rey into his apprentices. Every moment they were unsure of the children’s location ate into the precious schedule. He needed to get through this lunch and back to his ship as soon as possible. Now that Snoke was here, he could take over the management of Naboo while Luke went after his targets. 

Leia and Padme were seated at a table set for four, and he wondered if Anakin was joining them as well. His father had been pale and quite done in after the children’s escape and with the loss of Obi-Wan he knew Anakin would be drifting, his emotions chaotic as he dealt with the death of his Master and oldest friend. While he didn’t want to use that against him, Luke knew Anakin wouldn’t hesitate if the shoe were on the other foot. 

“Princess Leia,” he nodded to his sister, “Mother, it’s wonderful to see you again.” 

Padme stiffened. “You are not my son. My son would never hurt his family in this way. This is all Snoke’s evil.” 

He knew his family was upset with him, and a part of him deep inside hurt to hear her deny him. But everything he’d ever wanted was within his grasp, and family could not step between him and destiny. 

“Glad to know Leia is an only twin, Mother, but family sentiment isn’t why I’m here. We know you sent Ben and Rey off in a ship with no record of their destination. That’s all right, we’ll find them. The First Order has agents in every quadrant of the Galaxy, and two Force users will stand out on most civilized planets. All your hard work will be for naught, I will have them.” 

His sister glared daggers at him. “You touch a hair on my son’s head and I will strip the flesh from your bones.” 

“Easy sister, you’re untrained in the Force. I’d hate to hurt you.” 

In retrospect, he should have paid better attention to what his sibling had been up to recently. The knife slice across his face brought a gush of warmth racing down his cheek. Bitch must have been taking lessons from that smuggler asshole she’d married. He noticed Padme sat still, hands in her lap, her eyes bright with anger and something he couldn’t place. 

“Leia, that wasn’t a smart move on your part,” he growled, holding his napkin to his face to staunch the flow. “It’s time you both realize that things are changing throughout the galaxy. The First Order holds sway over most of the Outer and Mid Rims, and soon the Core Worlds will be ours as well. If you wish to remain ‘relevant’, you need to adjust your thinking. Supreme Leader Snoke is willing to let you both remain as the nominal heads of Naboo and Alderaan, so long as the proper tributes are paid to the First Order.” 

“So now you are a puppet spoke’s piece for that monster,” Leia snarled. “Well you can tell him the Royal Families are not going to roll over and let you and your band of terrorists and thugs destroy the independent planets. Ben and Rey are free, and have orders to avoid First Order locations at all costs. Of course, Rey is probably going to kill you first chance she gets, orders from above, and if I have the chance, I’ll help her. But for now, I have to be content with the knowledge that we outsmarted you and your master.” 

He tapped his fingers on the table, then picked up his water glass, draining it slowly. Replacing it on the table he turned to Padme. “Mother, what’s your opinion on this? After all, you rule Naboo. Leia is only responsible for Alderaan, and we have another way to neutralize them.” 

Her brown eyes, so like Leia’s, so like Ben’s, drilled into him. For a moment he was six again, trying to explain how the lamp in his bedroom broke, knowing neither parent believed a word coming out of his mouth. But that was always the problem. They never believed him. 

“Lord Vader,” a servant interrupted them, “there is a messenger here from the Supremacy who says they need to speak with you immediately.” 

Smiling at his mother, Luke rose from the table, napkin still held to his face. “Mother, it was a delight to see you again. Leia, I owe you one.” 

As he walked away, the smile left him immediately. 

They would all pay. 

****** 

Armitage found himself wandering down the hallways of the palace, sweat trickling down his spine. 

She was coming for him. He knew it. 

With the arrival of Supremacy also came the arrival of his father and Brendol would never let him go. He knew Armitage was on Naboo, and after twenty plus years free from his father’s oppressive, heavy-handed, judgmental personality it was time to pay for his independence. Brendol would conscript him into the military, and his future would consist of being abused and abusing others in their turn. He would become the man he hated. 

There was no time to get off planet. His only hope was making his way to the blast tunnels and losing himself among the crowds. He’d already left his uniform and weapons in his room, along with a letter to Queen Padme and Lord Anakin, asking for forgiveness for his cowardice. It was a poor attempt on his part to thank them for the many, many things they’d done in his life. 

He reached the gate which led from the palace to the stables. If he could take one of the mountain ponies then he would avoid the main traffic headed out of Theed. Usually the gate was guarded, but with the upheaval of Snoke’s ship loomed like a nightmare above the city, most of the palace guard were being used to help control the populace. Keeping to the shadows, he slid along the wall, lifted the heavy latch and slipped out into the lane. 

Her scent reached him at the same moment the needle slipped into his neck. 

*****

Annara Hux stepped back onto her shuttle, her brother on a stretcher behind her. Lifting off from Theed’s space port, she directed the pilot toward Supremacy’s hanger then walked back to check on Armitage. He was tied to the rails, but the sedative should have him out for quite a while. She ran her fingertips along his face, noticing their similarities, their differences. Both had their father’s strong jaw, height, but Taj looked like his mother, red-hair and fair skin. Graceful. But living with the lightsiders had made him weak, soft. Extremely un-Hux. 

That was why Brendol had her go planet-side, to bring her baby brother back into the fold. It was time he learned blood wasn’t the only thing that bonded the Hux family together. Theirs was a legacy that would be emblazoned across the galaxy in the blood of those who opposed the First Order. Their names would be linked with the other great military leaders of this age.

Power was the family motto, and between the three of them, there would be no one in the galaxy with more power than the Huxes of Arkanis. 

Including Darth Vader. 

*****

Rey was seated on the floor of the shower, sobbing, and Ben’s heart lurched in fear. 

He shed his clothes and sat beside her, pulling her onto his lap. She threw her arms around his neck, buried her head in his neck, and the fear lessened. Obviously, this meltdown wasn’t about him. 

“What’s wrong, little one?” 

Her voice was muffled by his skin, but through the bond he heard her strong and clear. 

“He killed my grandfather.” 

“I know sweetie, I know. And we’re going to get our revenge. I promise.” 

She raised her head and looked at him, her eyes blood red with her agony. 

“You swear?” 

“I swear.” 

Molified, she snuggled back against him and for a while they sat together until the warm ran cold. Turning off the shower, Ben pulled two towels to them, drying Rey first, wrapping her warmly before drying himself. He then carried her back to their bed, noticing the small wince as he gently placed her down. With a kiss to her forehead, he pulled the sheet over her. 

“Rest. We’ll be at our assigned banishment zone in a few hours. Then starts the real fun.” 

“What do you mean?” 

“I have no idea what we’re going to encounter, what the natural dangers might be, if there are people who might want to kill us or use us for our power. There are way too many variables to this situation to make me comfortable about our circumstances. But this certainly beats the alternative.” 

Rey nodded. 

“Slaves to Snoke and Vader?” 

“Yes. Until we know our situation, we shouldn’t advertise that we’re Force sensitives. Perhaps leave our sabers hidden for the time being, watch and wait.” 

“I have my knives, you have a blaster. While I hate leaving my saber in the ship, I feel you’re right. We just have to watch each other’s back.” 

“Agreed. Now, rest. I’m going to check our trajectory. I think I’ve figured out where we are headed.” 

“Where?” 

“A small watery planet in the Unknown Regions. I believe the name is Ahch-to.”


	19. Occupation

First came the storm troopers, rows and rows of white helmeted boot stomping thugs, who proceeded to take over all public buildings and government offices. Curfew began at seven, just as the sun began to sink behind the mountains, and ended when it returned the next morning. Citizens were stopped on street corners and searched for no reason other than being on a public street, and the sounds of blaster fire rang through the city at all hours of the night. 

The First Order had taken over the management of Naboo. 

In the palace, Padme and Leia remained ‘guests’ of Supreme Leader Snoke, who had yet to make this first appearance on the ground, but whose presence in the sky ruled over all with an iron fist. Anakin was still recuperating from his physical and spiritual wounds suffered the night of the wedding, and hadn’t been seen in public since. The only member of the Royal Families who continued his daily routine, was General Han Solo, who could be found in the taverns most afternoons until tea time. 

However, nothing stopped Snoke from sending his Praetorian guards to the palace to bring Anakin up to the Supremacy under the cover of darkest midnight. Luckily Padme was in a meeting on the planet’s defense, and he managed to leave without her or Leia objecting, so he grabbed his light saber and followed the guards up to Snoke’s lair. 

As the shuttle glided into the hanger, Anakin looked at the too-familiar Star Destroyer hanger, filled with troops headed down to the planet, as well as maintenance crews preparing the TIE fighters for any possible military action that the Royal Families might spring. Once the grappling hooks secure them to the deck, the ramp lowered, and Anakin faced Grand Marshall Brendol Hux, Snoke’s military leader and architect of their child soldier program. An old enemy with a new title. 

The bulldog-faced military masochist smiled, and all Anakin could think about is the last time he was on a Star Destroyer. It had almost cost him his life, his soul. Only then it was another general, another Dark Lord. 

“General Skywalker,” Brendol purrs. “It’s been entirely too long.” 

“Not long enough Hux, and it’s Lord Skywalker now. I resigned my commission with the Jedi long ago. Now, take me to him, so I can return to my family.” 

“Anakin, don’t take that attitude. Don’t you recognize this ship? Snoke dragged the design out of Palpatine’s personal records. It was to have been your flagship, once you’d turned to the Dark Side. But that’s right, you turned down our Emperor. Decided fucking the Senator was more important than service to the cause. How did that work out for you?” 

He feels the Dark boiling beneath his skin, all his careful locks breaking free one at a time and he hasn’t even made it to the audience chamber. 

“Queen Padme and I have a very happy marriage. Unlike others I could mention, present company included. How is your own dear wife, Brendol? I heard she tried to blow her head off after your latest affair, but only succeeded in removing her jaw.” 

“Wives are expendable Skywalker. There are more important things in this galaxy.” 

The elder Hux turned on his heel, leading Anakin and his surrounding ‘honor guard’ toward the awaiting Supreme Leader. Expanding his senses, he felt Darth Vader’s presence on the ship, as well as several members of prominent Naboo families. Typical strategy, kidnap loved ones to ensure cooperation with the First Order. Snoke learned his lessons from Palpatine all too well. 

The audience chamber was large and covered with large red and black silk banners of the First Order. An over-sized gilt throne sat on a central dais, the seat and back covered with red velvet. It reminded Anakin of a pleasure house he’d once had the misfortune to be stuck in on Corellia. Gaudy and cheap. But that was Snoke all over, a child playing at being a Sith Master. Anakin had more Darkness in his hands than Snoke did in his entire body, but where the Supreme Leader reveled in the sick feeling of corrupted power, it only served to nauseate Anakin after so many years of denying it any place in his life. 

Worse, Brendol was still at his side, spouting statistics on the First Order and their obscene number of child soldiers. When the obnoxious general took a breath, Anakin turned to him. 

“General, I don’t know why you continue to push your programs in my direction. I don’t agree with them, nor will I ever. I take great pride in having raised your son Armitage to be a much better man than you will ever be.” 

A greasy leer came over Hux’s expression. “Yes, I’m well aware of the brain washing you’ve inflicted on my child. Rest assured now that he is back under my care, all those silly notions of his will be stripped away.” 

“What do you mean, under your care?” 

“Oh, his sister Annara infiltrated your palace. Quite easily too. Poor job on security, Skywalker. She made it unchallenged all the way to his rooms. A small injection and now Armitage is resting comfortable in his new quarters on Lord Vader’s ship.” 

Son of a bitch. 

Anakin counted his losses while awaiting Snoke’s appearance. 

His son. 

His grandson. 

His granddaughter by marriage. 

Armitage. 

His best friend and Master. 

The freedom of Padme and Leia. 

The freedom of the people of Naboo. 

Though he tried to pull away from the darkness threatening to swamp his emotions, he could feel the black reaching for him, wrapping itself around him like a familiar cloak and he found himself unable to reach for the balance he needed to remain calm. The dark energy Snoke wrapped around his audience chamber gave him no respite to pull from the Light, centered in his chest where the love for Padme and his family resided. 

As they approached the giant red blast doors, he saw Luke, Darth Vader, waiting for him. His face was hard lines and disappointment rolled off his son like a thick fog. Anakin’s heart clutched. Where was the happy little boy who’d wanted to be a pilot, likethis father? 

“I’ll take General Skywalker from here, Hux.” 

The voice modulator changed Vader’s tone to flat and mechanical. Same as the storm troopers. 

Same as the clones. 

Same as Grievous. 

Anakin shook his head, now was not the time to get lost in his memories. 

The red doors opened and Anakin felt Luke push him forward, toward a gaudy black and gold throne upon a raised dais in the center of the room. Seated, in a golden lame gown, his face and head still as torn and damaged as Anakin remembered him, was Supreme Leader Snoke. 

“My dear General Skywalker, it has been too long,” the Dark seemed to roll of the stick figure like a noxious fog, thickening the air until Anakin felt dizzy. 

“Not long enough, Snoke.” 

“Congratulations on your grandson’s wedding. I cannot wait until I can give them my regards in person.” 

Anakin snorted. “Good luck finding them. That information is gone like star dust.” 

“You would be amazed what one can find, given the proper motivation. And finding Ben and Rey Solo is high motivation for me, indeed. I have seen their future in a Force vision, their strength together as the Balance will be strong and sure. Under Lord Vader’s tutelage, their union shall become a legend in our galaxy.” 

“I’m sure your motivation would be treacherous and filled with lies. Always the kernel of truth wrapped in silken webs of deceit. I remember Palpatine’s campaign of fear, why would I join yours? I know what a snake of a being you truly are.” 

“You mistake your purpose in being here, Chosen One. I do not seek to have you join the ranks of my Order, oh no far from it. I remember how you threw the Emperor’s offer of riches and power back into his face then waged war to ensure his destruction, and I have no intensions of placing myself in the same position. No, I simply require you to remain aboard my ship to ensure the cooperation of Padme and Leia.” 

“How to do intend to accomplish that? My powers are equal to your own, Snoke.” 

The Supreme Leader lifted his left hand, brandishing the black Kyber ring on his index finger. 

“Oh, but Anakin. You lean to the Light, while I am Master of the Dark.” 

The lightning hit him before he could brace himself against the pain. Every muscle in his body seized and spasmed, causing him to fall to the ground, shaking like a fish out of water, gasping for air during the brief breaks from the assault. 

“Perhaps now you understand what the Emperor truly offered you – unlimited power. The power to create life, and to destroy it, all with a wave of my hand. You could have ruled the galaxy at his side while I withered into obscurity in the Wasted Regions. Instead you betrayed him, chose the Light and your precious Padme, leaving the door open for me to step into the position of Apprentice. Now, I am the hand of justice while you languish in obscurity on your single planet, a relic of a time long gone. Of all the Jedi, you alone cling to an outdated philosophy. 

The last thing Anakin saw before losing consciousness was the blank face of his son watching as his Master tortured his father. Deep inside, Anakin wept for his lost boy. 

***** 

The blue of the oceans dazzled Rey as the ship skimmed along the surface, headed toward one of the 10,762 charted islands on the planet. Some were no bigger than a single-story building, others were as large as Theed and its surrounding areas. Most were desolate, no signs of habitation, many had small fishing villages clustered close to the deeper waters. 

The island the ship was programmed to reach was mid-sized, mountainous, and covered in rich shades of green. Once they touched down, the ramp extended while Rey and Ben looked around through the front viewer. 

“Honey, we’re home,” Ben quipped. Rey frowned. 

“Is that a joke?” 

He took her hand, kissing her cheek. “No, apparently for the next month this will be home. I guess we should find a place to settle ourselves into.” 

They walked down the ramp, examining the lush green island. A rock staircase led from the landing pad up into the craggy heights of the mountains. At the foot of the stairs stood a small group of aliens, wearing the apparel of Jedi nuns. With them was a tall slender humanoid woman with lavender hair. 

“Amilyn,” Ben spit out his aggravation, “how are you here while no one else in the entire galaxy knows where we are?” 

“Your mother had one of the programming droids sent to my planet. From there I simply worked out which system stood the greatest odds of being utilized as a hiding place. Since the first Jedi Temple is here, it made this the most likely of hiding places.” 

“Great, that means the First Order could find us as well.” 

“No,” Amilyn replied, “they would have to have had one of the droids to figure out the theme of their planning. Nevertheless, I have the codes to rework the programming. You will stay here on Ahch-to for two weeks, then the ship will be ready to leave and you two can choose where to go. Anakin and Leia suggest staying with unfamiliar planets, nothing too conspicuous as the Order has spies in every system. Or you can just stay here and hope they never find you.” 

“Who are these creatures,” Rey asked, her face scrunched up as she studied the. Each was apparently female, as they wore dresses, with a cap over their heads. But their faces were distinctly alien, almost fish-like in appearance. 

“These are the Guardians of the Jedi Temple. The women live here on this island and maintain the huts and the temple itself for any pilgrims that may happen along. Their men are on another island and are only permitted here once a month for trade and resupplies. As long as you don’t try to destroy anything here, they should leave the two of you alone. They know you both are strong in the Force so their care and protection will extend to you as well.” 

Rey’s voice trembled as she posed her question. 

“Do you know anything about the state of Naboo? Are Padme and the others all right?” 

“Anakin has been taken to Snoke’s ship to act as a hostage, keep Padme and Leia from misbehaving. Storm troopers have taken up residence in Theed, but most of the natives have moved into the mountains, into the blast tunnels for safety. No one has seen Padme or Leia in person since the invasion. I believe they are staying locked in the safe room. Even Luke’s strength in the Force cannot open those doors.” 

Amilyn held out her hand. “Enough sad talk. There’s a wonderful stone cottage which has been setup for your use while you are here.” 

They followed the woman up a winding and cracking staircase. Upon reaching the top, Ben and Rey stopped and looked across the vista in front of them, marveling at the sun glimmering off the blue ocean far below them. There was a ring of stone huts surrounding a central fire pit, with one large cottage off to the right side. Far above them, on the top of the mountain which comprised the majority of the island, they could just see the top of the Jedi Temple gleaming in the same sunlight. 

“Here is where I leave you, must to my consternation. But I’m sure everything here will be safe. I won’t try to contact Leia to let her know I’ve seen you. Snoke or Vader could hijack the message and then nothing would protect you here.” 

“Thank you,” Ben muttered. “I appreciate you coming to let us know what is happening to my family.” 

She smiled at Ben, laying her hand against his cheek. “Ben, I’ve known Leia since I was a girl. I was the first non-family member to hold you when you were born, and I advocated for your marriage to Reyanna. It’s been my privilege. But I do have some words of caution.” 

“Watch out for strange ships, and stay away from heavily populated planets. The First Order is searching endlessly for you both, and their spread words of an enormous bounty, alive and well. Snoke and Luke want you on their side, on the Dark Side. Trust no one.” 

With that, she started back down the mountainside to meet a small shuttle just breaking through the atmosphere. Rey slid her arm around Ben’s waist as he pulled her against him. They stood together for a long time, watching the shuttle disappear into the brilliant blue sky before turning toward their cottage. 

Suddenly, Ben swept Rey into his arms. 

“Put me down, Benjamin,” she shrieked while laughing and swatting at him playfully. 

“Nope. Must carry my bride over the threshold or it’ll be bad luck.” 

“You nerf-herder.” 

“That makes your Mrs. Nerf-herder,” he replied, kissing the end of her nose. 

He kicked the door closed behind them.


	20. Crimes of Opportunity

The first thing Armitage Hux noticed when he opened his eyes was the constant hum coming from the massive engines powering the I-class Star Destroyer surrounding him. Its ever-present hum underlay his own heartbeat, giving him a vague sense of anxiety. He wasn’t on Naboo anymore, that was certain. 

Which meant his bitch sister drugged him and dragged his sorry ass from safety to the pit of hell. 

His father’s flagship. 

Fucking BITCH. 

He sat up and immediately his attention was caught by the tall, blonde haired captain seated at the foot of his bed. He looked at her eyes and realized this was no mere toady of his father, but a serious battle tested veteran who would rather kill him as soon look at him. It was the eyes that made his warning system tell him to slow down and assess the situation before he got himself shot. 

“Who are you?” His tried to keep his tone neutral and unafraid. Fifty percent was still a pass. 

“Ah good, you’re awake. Annara wasn’t certain the dosage was enough, she got your weight incorrect and you’re a little taller than we supposed. Not a problem, I believe the droids have already retailored your pants.” 

“Thank you?” 

“Don’t mention it, sir. I am Captain Phasma, regimental chief officer for this First Order destroyer, and as of today your assigned liaison during your adjustment period. Welcome.” 

“What am I adjusting to, Captain?” 

“Your new duties, Commander Hux, as First Officer under your father, Grand Marshall Brendol Hux, Senior Military Commander of the Combined Forces of the First Order.” 

He looked at her and wondered if whatever Annara’d hit him with had given him a bad reaction. He tried to logic the situation out loud. 

“I’ve been drugged and kidnapped from my home, conscripted into my father’s war machine, while unconscious, and assigned a ridiculous title as well as a personal body guard who’s more likely to kill me than save me from any sort of attack. What the fuck else could go wrong today?” 

Captain Phasma stood up and pointed to the crisp new First Order uniform hanging on a hook on the fresher door. 

“Well then you’ll love this one, Commander sir.” 

“Excuse me?” 

“Since you were puzzling your current predicament out loud, I thought I’d go ahead and finish shitting on your day so we can get that out of our way.” 

“Great. Go ahead, why the fuck not.” 

Her smile reminded him of a death grin. 

“Welcome to ‘Devastator’, personal Imperial destroyer of Lord Vader.” 

She left him alone after that revelation, and he staggered into the bathroom. Looking at his reflection he surmised he’d been out about five to six hours. Barely enough time to need to shave, but he would anyway. His eyes were bloodshot and felt as if he’d been slammed over the head with a brick. Every muscle ached and he had a bad case of the shakes. 

He’d met Darth Vader once, when he and Ben were children. When the Republic forced his brute of a father to turn him and his mother loose after they’d claimed sanctuary in the court of the Skywalkers, it was Luke who had left in Armitage’s place, a willing replacement for both Brendol and Snoke’s requirements. Once he’d been old enough to realize what Luke’s betrayal meant to the family that treated him as one of their own, Armitage never forgot how lucky he was to have had the chances he’d been given. 

But now he needed to survive until he could find a way to free his adopted family from the clutches of the First Order. He knew military discipline; he’d learned it under the auspices of the Republic. All he had to do was hide his truest feelings from those around him under he could escape. 

Hopefully that would be before he died. 

**** 

She was avoiding him. 

She knew he knew, but she knew he didn’t know why. 

She wasn’t sure why, only that the thought of being alone with Ben after their first time together made her queasy and sent waves of hot and cold anxiety up and down her spine. Rather than figure out why, she elected to find ways to work around whatever he was working on. In the three days they’d been on the island, she would skate around either one step behind or in front of his cat-like stalking gait that made her feel as though he was toying with her, playing like a cat with its prey. At night she made sure to be asleep before Ben could start anything amorous. 

As dinner neared on the third night, she made her way toward their hut, wondering if she had time to grab a meal pack and wander to another part of the island until after Ben was asleep. The warm fire drew her in however, reminding her of nights spent under stars of the desert. She ate, staring at the sky, different from any she’d known before and pondered her feelings about her handsome new husband. 

He was so entirely different from any men she’d met before. Men of the Qatar tended toward subterfuge, using shifting allegiances to serve themselves in a hostile world. Ben, while tall, dark, grumpy, was too sexy and each moment she found herself more attracted than she'd thought in the beginning, and Rey's always fragile sense of self-worth began frazzle, causing her to look through a hard lens of unworthiness. Ben deserved to be with someone as poised and intelligent as he, able to talk about politics and their place in the cosmos in general. Not a sand rat from Jakku, even if she was born to a wealthy and well-respected family. Rey knew she was no one, from nowhere, and was terrified Ben would realize that and leave her.

The Qatar had beaten her down and rebuilt her emotions as they’d required for her to be a functioning member of their order, but as for preparing her to be the wife of anyone much less a royal member of two ruling families, they’d failed spectacularly. Rey felt ill-equipped for the emotions currently racing around her head, warring with her body, and with no one to guide her worried her indecision would wreck their fragile marriage before it could even begin to flourish. 

She was so deep in her own mind, when Ben plopped down beside her, handing her a bowl of warm stew, the sudden motion frightened her and she jumped. 

Ben looked at her carefully, as if he could see her wildly chaotic emotions careening in all directions. 

“Did you not hear me calling your name?” 

She shook her head. 

“No, sorry. Just a lot going on in my mind and I’m still trying to process it all.” 

He caressed the side of her face, tucking her hair behind one ear. Smiling, he blushed and Rey felt those wildly swinging emotion start spinning again. 

“Rey, I know this is a lot, and if you need time to adjust to marriage, to being this alone with only me, then let me know. This is a really small island for us to be stuck on if we stop talking to each other. I don’t feel like checking for landmines every time we speak.” 

“I know, and believe me, that’s only part of everything that has me over wrought. For most of my life I’ve been around at the most a dozen people, most of whom were there to keep me hidden from the rest of the galaxy. Strangers make me anxious. I know we met when I was a child, but I don’t remember you. So I’m anxious because I’m with a stranger who is also my new husband. Do you see how it feels weird?” 

“No, but I’m not in your position. I’ve had my own problems with closeness and intimacy, in case you hadn’t noticed. I’m sorry I’ve hurt you, if that helps anything. I want you to love me.” 

“Thank you. You are my husband, and I know that eventually there will be a deep affection between us, but right now truthfully, you overwhelm me.” 

“I know, little one. I do. But I want a real, loving relationship with you. After watching the disaster that is my parent’s relationship, I need this to be different. I think you would agree neither of us has had great role models. I want to share everything with you, and I want to know all there is to know about you. And I want to fuck you so bad, it’s all I can bear to just sit here and not touch you. I need you to extend a little trust here, Rey, and meet me in the middle. Can you do that?” 

She studied his face, looking for any signs of falsehood, deciding there were none to find. Trust. Could she extend any to someone she’d only truly known less than a month? 

“I will try, hard as I can, to trust you Benjamin. Please don’t break my heart?” 

“I promise, I won’t hurt you anymore. All my indiscretions are in the past, and from this moment forward there will be only truth between us.” 

“I promise as well.” 

He leaned closer, grabbing her chin with his thumb and forefinger to hold her still as he closed the distance between them, bringing his lips down to hers. Hesitantly she put her arms around his neck, then giggled as he pulled her into his lap, nuzzling against her neck as she settled back into his arms. In moments such as these, she forgot the hole in her heart where once her grandfather had maintained a home. 

She only wondered if Ben could feel it as well. 

***** 

Rose Tico stepped out from the crowded lift inside the hotel and made her way toward one of the private gaming rooms down a restricted access hallway behind the main casino. The security guards knew her by sight, but still had to stop and search her bag at each checkpoint to maintain the illusion of plausible deniability. Once she’d reached her destination, she took a deep breath before opening the door. 

Inside, the lights were low, and the room empty save for one man seated in a darkened corner, his features unseen. The First Order operative didn’t need to see his face to know who’d summoned her to the heart of excess known as Canto Bight. 

The smuggler who’d gone legit when he’d met his match. Or so it was rumored. Rose knew him better than that. 

Han Solo was an opportunist, not a loyalist. 

“Dameron took the contract, he’s been ordered to shoot to disable the ship but not to harm the occupants upon pain of death.” 

“Do you think he’ll listen? I’ve never trusted that little shit.” 

The gravelly voice of the elder Solo reminded her of smoke-filled pubs and dive bars. 

She pulled her thoughts together into a cohesive sentence. 

“If they want to be found, he’s the man to do it, but if they don’t want to be found, it’ll be like looking for a diamond in a kyber mine. Both of them have above average intelligence and Lady Kenobi has been trained to adapt and survive no matter what conditions she finds herself trapped within. They have all the tools we could possibly give them to stay ahead of Vader and Snoke. All we can do now is wait.” 

“Snoke noticed your absences yet?” 

“Snoke doesn’t noticed much down at my pay grade,” Rose sneered. “I think Darth Vader knows I’m more than I appear.” 

“We need you to keep on top of their tech upgrades, Rose. The information you bring is priceless.” 

“Why do I hear a ‘but’ in that statement.” 

“There is a rumor the First Order is building a weapon similar to the Death Star Palpatine built only on a magnitude of thousands of times greater. We need to know about it. Everything you can get your hands on, especially how to destroy one.” 

“What do I get in return?” 

“Your freedom, and your sister.” 

“You know where Paige was sent?” 

Han leaned forward, arms resting on his knees. 

“We do. Snoke had her placed in the pilot school based near Corellia. Word is her class graduates in three months and she will be sent to Vader’s team on ‘Devastator’, where we have several reliable sources placed. If all works according to plan, she could be home soon.” 

Rose stepped around the table, staring out the windows to the ocean just beyond the hotel. Two years she’d been looking for her missing sister, two years of working every connection she had in the galaxy to discover where Brendol Hux sent her after Paige refused to sleep him. It had taken the Resistance only four months after she’d contacted them to act as an insider. 

“What’s your angle in all this Solo? Are you for or against your family in this little venture?” 

“This? I’m trying to save what remains of my family. If anything happens to Ben and Rey, Leia will never stop until she’s destroyed the entire galaxy for vengeance. And I’d like the chance to see if my brother-in-law is truly gone. If we get rid of the First Order in the process, who am I to see fault in that?” 

Working her way back to the main hanger and her ship, Rose wondered if it were truly possible to rid the galaxy of madmen like Snoke. After all, Snoke arose from the ashes of Palpatine and the Empire. What might arise from the remains of the First Order? 

Receiving clearance to leave, Rose set her course for Birren. She had some research to do.


	21. Diagrams in the Sky

When he awoke the next morning, Ben found himself wrapped around his bride, warm and comfortable. For not the first time, he noticed how compact and taunt her body truly was, the muscles underneath her tawny skin strong and deceptively small. She tucked up underneath his chin as if they’d been carved from the same piece of stone. Her scent reminded him of warm summer afternoons, sun-dried linen, and lavender in the breeze, and he breathed deeply enjoying the comfort her presence brought him. 

He’d quickly realized how strong her panic attacks could be after talking her off the ceiling more than once in the past few days, so Ben backed off, letting her set the pace. Last night they’d held each other in the dark of night and talked about their childhoods, loneliness and their inability to connect to strangers. Today, he intended to start their training program. The sparring sessions they’d had in Naboo always ended politely, neither of them stretching themselves, always mindful of the audience their little dances would draw. 

Here, it was them and no one else. The Caretakers were very careful to work around the two of them. He wasn’t sure they liked him and Rey living on the island, even though it was temporary. Maker knows they’ve tried to stay out of the way of the strange, judgmental creatures. 

“Rey,” he ran his fingers through her silky tresses. “Time to wake-up, sweetheart.” 

“One more hour,” she mumbled. “Not ready.” 

He began to rub her neck and upper back as he placed tiny kisses along her jawline. “What if I said you get to beat me up this morning? Now are you ready to get up?” 

“That’s a tempting offer, husband. In another hour.” 

“How about I go start some caf? That enough to open those beautiful eyes?” 

She stiffened then opened one eye, her brows wrinkled. “You think my eyes are beautiful?” 

“I think all of you is beautiful, especially your eyes. I could get lost in your eyes forever, my wife.” 

“Hmm. Maybe I will wake up.” 

True to his word, Ben extracted himself from the bed and went to the kitchen to start the caf and put together a quick energy breakfast. Returning with the tray to the bedroom, he found Rey pulling out leggings and a sports top in preparation for their training session. He marveled at her well-proportioned frame, admiring her ass as she stretched out while nibbling on a piece of fruit. 

“I’ve noticed that the forms I use, as taught by the Qatar, are similar yet significantly different than what Lord Skywalker and Grandfather Kenobi taught to you and Darth Vader. Will you show me your forms, so that I may learn both?” 

Ben nodded as he wiped a drop of fruit from her chin. Rey’s attitude toward food astounded him, making him again question how she’d been treated by the desert assassin’s guild. “I would like to learn yours as well. We should take this time to work on our skills, learn to make use of this Balance we are supplying. Though the thought of roaming the galaxy together with no destination and no purpose except to train and fuck makes me excited in ways I don’t want to look into too closely at this moment, I feel we’re destined to run into Uncle Luke and Snoke again.” 

Her eyes widened and then settled into a hard, cold, green hatred. 

“I look forward to ending the man who killed my grandfather.” 

“Rey, listen to me. Under no circumstances are you to attempt to take on my uncle or Snoke alone. I know it’s not in your nature to ask for help, but we cannot win if we fight one on one. It’s together we are at our strongest.” 

“If you promise me the same, husband. I will not be made a widow over some misplaced sense of manly honor. I am no damsel in distress, Benjamin, please do not treat me as such.” 

He smiled and a small laugh slipped past his defenses. 

“My little fury, I would never mistake you for a damsel.” 

Her anger was quick. “How dare you?!” 

Ben grasp both her hands with his own, pulling her close to his body. Holding both in one of his own, he used his other to pull her chin to look up at him. 

“You are my desert warrior, my own personal storm, and I will be pulled along in your wake every time, do you understand that? You aren’t alone in this Rey, not anymore.” 

The clouds rolled out of her expression, and her eyes softened as she let herself go limp in his arms. He released her hands, and she threw her arms around his neck. 

“Neither are you, Benjamin.” 

***** 

The chiming of his door awoke Armitage and he wondered what fresh hell awaited him this day cycle. 

He’d been on ‘Devastator’ three weeks, and each day his father managed to order new and more creative ways to torment his only son, all under the guise of bringing the family together in a dynasty to rivals the Skywalkers, and each day his sense of frustration and nausea grew. The more he learned about the inner workings of the First Order, the greater his need to escape grew. His father was a merciless sadist and Snoke was a madman with a twisted Force ability that made Armitage question his own sanity. 

Even now, days after his last session with the Supreme Leader, the raking claw marks of Snoke’s mental probing of his mind, trolling for information that he could use against Naboo and Alderaan, pulsed with pain behind his eyes and in the back of his mind. Only his deepest core, where Armitage learned from Anakin and Obi-Wan to place his most painful secrets, escaped Snoke’s evil touch. He feared if he didn't escape soon, he might well and truly lose himself. 

Armitage opened the door, allowing his keeper, Captain Phasma, into his living quarters. 

“Good morning, sir. Ready for combat training today?” 

“Combat training?” 

“Yes, sir. The Grand Marshall decided you should join the ground troops while they question locals as to the location of the Resistance. We know they have a base somewhere in this quadrant, and Leader Snoke wants to use that as a show of force against Naboo and Alderaan. Your job will be to aid those doing the interviews. With your knowledge of these people, we should have the traitors identified in short order. 

“Traitors?” 

“Yes, there have been riots breaking out on both planets in protest of the First Order. There needs to be an example set, and Leader Snoke has authorized the potential use of one of our most secret weapons.” 

“What’s that?” 

“That, sir, is above your security level at this time. Suffice to say, it should only take one use to make the Inner and Mid Rim systems submit to the authority of the First Order. Now, we leave for the surface in thirty standard minutes. I shall collect you then.” 

Phasma left, and Hux collapsed on the couch in a heap. Secret weapon? How could he get that information back to the palace? Anakin was trapped here just as he was, Padme and Leia under heavy guard in the palace, Ben and Rey somewhere in the galaxy. Who did he know in the palace he could get a message through to the queens in their iron vault? 

For not the first time, he wondered where Han Solo had disappeared? 

Even before his bitch of a sister kidnapped him, General Solo had gradually disappeared from the palace. Family insiders, such as himself, knew that meant Han and Chewy were gone in the ‘Millennium Falcon’. The question was, where had he gone? After Ben and Rey? Looking for allies? 

Hux knew if he could find General Solo, his information would make it back to the Resistance. After all, his wife and mother-in-law were the founders. 

***** 

Dameron didn’t often hang around desert planets, but a need for scrubber pads had him stopping on Tatooine. Sitting in the waiting area of the space port, he observed the various humanoids and aliens transacting business. What concerned him was the increased First Order presence on the planet. In the thirty minutes since he cleared customs, he’d personally witness seven persons disappear never to return. 

It didn’t seem to bode well for the local economy. 

While he waited, he perused his holo-pad for the latest news. The First Order’s giant flagship ‘Supremacy’ along with Darth Vader’s destroyer ‘Devastator’ were both still in orbit above Naboo. Negotiations were at a standstill, which Dameron suspected was code for no one had discovered the location of the missing newlyweds. 

There were First Order wanted posters for Prince Ben Skywalker-Solo and Lady Rey Kenobi. He thought it rather telling the Supreme Leader refused to acknowledge their marriage. Could it be he had other partners in mind for the two Force sensitives? 

Around the corner came a face from his past, a man he thought he’d never see again and now that he had, he wasn’t sure what was to think about anything anymore. 

Han fucking Solo. 

So, if the old man was out looking for his son then it was true. They were truly out of reach. Solo had contacts on a thousand worlds and was probably wanted on at least twice as many more. Poe needed to think like a droid. What would they possibly have used for their selection process? How many systems were there he didn’t even know about? 

Suddenly his chances of finding his quarry did not look in his favor. 

A voice interrupted his thoughts. 

“Dameron, what are you doing on a planet this?” 

“Needed some maintenance. I should be out of here soon. But what brings you out this far? Especially with the First Order poised to lay waste to your wife and her little charity project.” 

“Gotta see a man about a shipment.” 

“Good old Han Solo, talkative as always. If I didn’t know better, I would think you were out looking for those two lovebirds yourself. I find it hard to believe the great legend himself couldn’t find his own son.” 

“Not looking for him, Dameron. Ben is a grown man; he doesn’t need me looking over his shoulder.” 

“True, very true. But with the entire First Order on alert for them, along with half the bounty hunters in the galaxy I would imagine you’d be more comfortable if all eyes were on you instead. Classic Solo misdirection.” 

“Well I do what I can, when I can. Not easy to get out from under obligations these days. But I did hear you’ve got your nose firmly up the First Order’s collective asses. How does that feel, bowing and scraping to the scum who killed your mother? How would Shara feel knowing her only son has become a glowing example of everything she hated most in the galaxy?” 

“We’ll never know, will we old man? Your precious Republic and its collective morons in charge got her killed and for what? The First Order still rose, and the galaxy is still fucked. So why don’t you kiss my ass or leave me alone. Why are you here anyway?” 

“I want to know who besides you are interested in Ben and Rey? Who hired you? Snoke? Or Vader? What did they promise?” 

“And I’m going to tell you this why?” 

“Because otherwise my friend is going to rip your head off and shit down your neck.” 

‘Keep dreaming.” 

“Just tell me this, was it Snoke’s people, or Vader’s? I need to know if they’re working together or at cross purposes. I need to know who’s coming after them, and me.” 

Dameron picked up his glass, tossed back the bitter whiskey, and stared at the only man who held the pirate’s grudging respect. Solo was a hell of a pilot and a better smuggler then Dameron himself. He weighed his options. 

“It was from Vader’s people. I don’t know why except that they are to be captured alive and Vader personally is to be contacted for pickup. No force suppressing restraints, no stunning. And they are to be caught together or not at all. He’ll only pay for the set.

Han nodded to himself, his eyes focusing on something in a distance only he could see. “Thanks, Dameron. That’s what I needed to know. Guess I’ll be running along now. Gotta see a man about a windmill.” 

“Take care Solo. For what it’s worth, I hope you find your kid before I do. I don’t know what Vader wants with them, and I don’t care. But it’s weird and I don’t traffic in people. Goods are one thing, people, well now that’s a line I’m not ready cross. But it puts me in a dangerous position with the First Order. I can’t be seen outright ignoring their wishes, but I can make it damn hard for them to tell the difference.” 

The older man left, and Dameron stared at the door long after Han Solo had disappeared. Perhaps he’d take a detour home to Yavin 4, put some fresh flowers on his mother’s grave, see what fresh trouble his father had gotten into. Put out some long-range feelers before blindly roaming around the galaxy wasting fuel.


	22. United and Bonded

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short but sweet.

“No, wife! You are still dragging your back foot. It makes an easy trip zone for someone trying to take you out.” 

Three weeks they’d been stuck on this planet, and Ben was suffering from the worst case of blue balls he’d ever had. In two days, the lock on the ship’s engines would expire and he and Rey would be free to leave this island training ground, if they so desired. At the moment, all Ben desired was to be inside his wife, and he was beginning to think she wanted the same, only she didn’t know how to ask for what she needed. 

Day after day they made the trek up the mountain to the grounds outside the first Jedi Temple, where they would spend the morning in meditation and working on their Force communication. After lunch, they would spar until the suns set below the horizon. Then a trip to the hot springs to bathe before dinner then bed. 

The first week was the hardest. Literally. Ben had walked around in a state of constant arousal, following Rey like a dog in heat. After their discussion though, he’d been quietly observing his little desert flower, learning more about her through observation than spoken words. In doing so he fell more in love with her every day. 

While Rey was deadly with almost any weapon placed in her grasp, in most social interactions she seemed years younger than her calendar age of seventeen. But, then again, maybe it was just her impossibly upbeat attitude that made her seem young. Her eyes were always warm and filled with laughter, and her smile could eclipse the sun itself. Each day as they progressed through the various forms, teaching each the other’s way of combat, the bond between grew and stretched, customizing itself to their skills and levels. 

The first thing he’d noticed was she hated being told what to do. If he showed her the move then let her work it out on her own, Rey was much more receptive to his teachings. By the end of the second week it was obvious they would work well together as a unit. Now, it was simply a matter of repetition – working on the movements until they were smooth as water flowing over stone. 

The second thing was, his wife enjoyed looking at his body, but hated being caught staring. One night during the second week when they were at the hot springs, he noticed her observing at his ass and thighs while he undressed. Since then, Ben had been putting on a show for Rey each night, much to his amusement she’d yet to catch on. 

How does one seduce one’s own wife, when said wife is younger and deadlier than yourself? This was the question he asked himself night after night as Rey lay beside him, clad in sheer silk, nestled against him like a kitten. One hand usually rubbed up and down her back while the other held one of her hands. Her breath was deep and even as she slept and he often thought long and hard about the steps he needed to take to make her his. He was running out of time. Once they left this planet, their lives would become a race for independence. 

He watched her run through the sequence again, cock hardening as he focused on the tautness of her ass and the flexibility of her long legs. She was teasing him, he decided. Knowing no other way to instigate love making between them, she was playing the coquette, hoping his experience would carry her through. But Ben wanted her to succumb to those passions, acknowledge them for what they were and use them to aid the power of Force. 

She neared the end of the movement, and he slipped up behind her as the trailing leg again drifted too far, throwing her balance off and causing her to fall before his feet. Smirking, he quickly caged her in his arms, burying her attention with kisses filled with the heat of his love and devotion. Her resistance blew away like the clouds chased across the sky by the streams and currents of the air, and with minimal fuss he quickly stripped her of her training clothes. 

Lying naked before him on the sun-warmed grass of the island, he could feel her desire welling like a hot spring, filling her with needs she had no ideas how to verbalize. He ran his tongue around first one nipple, then the other before working his lips up her neck to hers. A quick look at her eyes confirmed Rey was willing and so pliant, the bond between them pulsing through the Force like a second heartbeat, linking them in spirit and mind as they worked their way to body. 

He didn’t feel the need for words at that moment. They both knew what they wanted, who they wanted, all that was to be decided was the manner in which their wants were sated. 

Her body was lithe, golden skin and lean muscles, deceptive strength hidden under the desert linens. Ben ran his hands over every curve, memorizing what made her moan and what didn’t, and as he approached the one place which interested him most, a shiver ran through her. Not fear, no not anywhere close. No, her want was pushing her into an overly sensitive mess. Trailing his fingers lightly through her wetness, he sucked on the skin below her ear, another spot he’d marked for sensitivity. 

“My sweet Rey,” he breathed into her skin, “I cannot wait much longer to enjoy your body again. I feel the proof of your desire on my fingertips, say that you are mine tonight.” 

Rey rubbed her nipples against the smooth skin of his chest, her skin glowing. For days she’s been having dreams of Ben, and his magnificent body. For the first time in her life, Rey desired something other than peace. She wanted her husband to take her and fuck her hard. She craved him, with every cell in her body, she craved him. 

Sparring with him had only fanned the flames of her need. Watching Ben fight was like watching fire contained in one well-endowed package, and Rey was ready to take the next step. 

Ben heard her agreement in his thoughts, and set his thumb upon her clit, moving in slow, languid circles as he slid his middle finger between her swollen lips. Rey threw her head back, recognizing their bond opening to give each of them access to the other’s emotional and physical responses. She closed her eyes, stars bursting behind her lids as every nerve in her body lit itself with a nuclear level explosion and she came over Ben’s hand in record time, her body shuddering in waves of ecstasy. 

“Well that was quick,” he purred. “Now I want to feel as you cum on my dick.” 

The shiver that ran up her spine felt delicious. 

Removing his fingers from her, Ben slid the weepy head of his cock against her, losing himself in the reverberations and as he sank into her wet, warm, tight pussy, both felt the pulse of the Force run through the bond, causing them to cry out as he bottomed out inside her. Rey felt the flutters of her inner walls as she adjusted to his thickness and his eyes drew hers. 

“I love you so much,” Ben panted, holding himself still to keep from erupting too soon. “I love you and I’m never going to let you go, never. You’re not alone, not anymore.” 

“Neither are you,” Rey moaned as her walls twitched around him. “Neither are you, Ben. I love you too.” 

Slowly he began to move and each became lost in the other, emotions and feelings intertwining as never before, neither aware of the outside world, only the universe of Rey and Ben and when they came together, it felt as if the universe paused in its celestial movements to acknowledge the power of their love. 

As they floated back to their individual bodies, Ben laid his hand against Rey’s cheek and smiled, love and understanding filling those amazing deep orbs. She studied his face, her eyes greedily drinking in his sated expression of love and something much more precious. Belonging. 

Ben belonged to Rey. 

Rey belonged to Ben. 

All was as the Force decreed. 

Two days later when the engines unlocked, they headed for the planet of Ossus, and the next Jedi Temple location they needed to complete their training. 

And the First Month of Balance was complete.


	23. Interlude

With the subtlety of a solar storm, the Force blew through the galaxy, touching on the various players, resetting the game board for the next round. 

The first to feel the breeze is the spy as she leaves Birren to return to her life on Vader’s ship. It whispers to her that the prey is on the run, that it is time to let loose the hunters. One action taken to cover all her bases; the message is forwarded to three masters. The time stamps are identical, so none can claim she played favorites. 

For her sister’s freedom she sends the message to the smuggler, hiding in plain sight from the pain on Naboo, hoping to bring peace back to his people and to his wife. 

For her continued longevity, she sends the message to the Sith lord, the master who holds the knife to the throats of her family as well as herself. 

For her dedication to the Resistance, she sends the message to the Royal Palace on Naboo, knowing a family who deserves to have a win in the midst of so much loss. 

The message is simple: The Royal Couple has left their hidden planet and disappeared into the Unknown Regions. A description of the yacht they are using. A reward for information from the First Order and Darth Vader. 

Three ships depart from three locations in response to these messages. 

From the Inner Core came “Punisher”, the First Order’s second city ship, carrying super light proton cannons which could pummel planets into dust if needed. A stop near Naboo to pick up Lord Vader, and the fallen Skywalker was on his way to capture his new apprentices. 

From Yavin came Poe Dameron, determined to earn enough credits from the capture of the royal couple to finally retire from this life of constant space, uneasy at heart with the thought of selling humans, no matter how larger the reward. Especially knowing the ultimate plans the First Order has for the couple. 

From the depths of the Outer Rim came the “Millennium Falcon”, captained by the Prince Consort, General Han Solo and his crew, determined to keep his son and daughter-in-law safe from the First Order. Bearing secret orders from his wife to his ears only to bring her twin brother home to the light, no matter what, and torn as to how to accomplish both tasks. 

Snoke continues to loom large over Naboo in his over-sized city ship, “Supremacy”, while Anakin Skywalker languishes as his guest in the dungeon cells of the floating behemoth. Repeated hours of mental warfare between the two has left Anakin exhausted and withdrawn. Frustrated at the lack of progress, Snoke threatens to bring the full might of the First Order to bear against the rebelling planets, including its newest mega-weapon of terror, Star Killer. 

Planet-side, Queen Padme and Princess Leia maintain a solid front united against this unlawful incursion by the First Order, but both realize time is running short. Snoke will not remain patient much longer. But with Anakin a prisoner of the Supreme Leader, Obi-Wan deceased, and Ben and Rey missing, it falls to Leia and her barely trained Force abilities to protect Naboo and Alderaan. Night after sleepless night she appeals to the Force to show her how to protect those she loves.

In a tavern not far from the palace, a red-haired man lurks in the shadows, hiding from both friendly and unfamiliar eyes, waiting for his contact as he watches for those he knew before. Lost, adrift on stormy waters, he puts his faith in those he knows best to hide him from the terror in the skies above. 

And the ones who momentary reappearance began this momentous shift in the playing board? Disappeared again, although many claimed to see them, calling theirs a ghost ship, a harbinger of ill will. Rumors of them sprout up on planets in many quadrants of the galaxy, yet none can produce the couple, nor even a holo of the ship they piloted. Only the prince and princess knew where they were bound. 

There are no coincidences. The Force willed they arrive on Rakata Prime at the same time as one of their pursuers. 

The solar winds pause, the moment is nigh and soon the players will take the field. 

Long, long ago. . . 

In a galaxy, far, far away. . .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for this interlude, but my job in RL has me travelling several days a week and time is fleeting. I have most of Act Two ready to go, just editing. Trust not, Ben and Rey still have a lot to learn about living with another person, and the blockade of Naboo continues will horrific results. Thank you so much for reading, and for staying with me. I'm throwing everything out with this one, folks. #JusticeforBenSolo.


	24. Chess Board

Rose Tico, Intelligence Specialist, was back in the standard First Order uniform that was demanded of all who served on Darth Vader’s ship, and she despised the high tight collar of stiff, unforgiving wool jackets, and the constant creak of leather tall boots. While both warm and functional in the deep of space, the shapeless uniforms were designed to remove all vestiges of individuality and promote the oneness of the First Order. Regardless of the mind and wishes of the wearer. 

After she delivered her message to Lord Vader, she’d assumed he would have no use for her until the two fugitives were apprehended. She already knew he would assign her as Lady Solo’s assistant slash lady’s maid in order to keep an eye on the two prized acquisitions of the Order. In the deep part of her mind, which Obi-Wan had taught her to guard, she wailed as the knowledge that once in custody these two would be stripped mentally, emotionally, and physically until their devotion to the Order was concrete, or they died. But not before they assured a new generation of super Force sensitive children for Snoke to brand his insanity upon. 

That could not be allowed to happen. 

She entered the audience chamber as commanded to find Captain Gwen Phasma waiting for her. Rose paused, was she mistaken on the time for her audience with Lord Vader via hologram? 

“Come in Tico. I was the one who called you here.” 

Rose approached the tall blonde with apprehension. Phasma’s physical prowess was well known in the Fleet, and she had no idea what the officer could want with her. 

“I’m confused, Captain. What can I do for you?” 

“I need your special talents with a project I’ve been working on, and I need your utmost discretion. Therefore, we are meeting here, the only room in the whole damn ship I know has no security feed.” 

“I’m listening.” 

“What do you know about General Brendol Hux?” 

Rose’s eyes narrowed to slits. 

“Other than the fact he’s a sadistic asshole whose only pleasure is the pain and suffering of others, nothing. Why do you ask?” 

“What do you know about his son, Armitage?” 

The intelligence officer frowned as she pulled the facts from her photographic memory. 

“Illegitimate, mother deceased by father’s hand, raised on Naboo as a companion to Crown Prince Ben Solo, soon to be known as Kylo Ren, heir to Lord Vader. Armitage is nothing like Brendol, having been raised in the loving and nurturing environment of the court of the Skywalkers. And is the closest friend and confidant of Ben Solo.” 

Phasma nodded. 

“Correct. Add to that the information that as of three weeks ago, Armitage was kidnapped by his psychopathic sister and forcibly inducted into the First Order as the heir to General Brendol Hux.” 

Rose felt her spine rippled under the weight of the news. 

“Then it’s time for Brendol to go.” 

Phasma smiled at her, and Rose likened it to a lion anticipating the thrill of the hunt. 

“I’m glad we are in agreement.” 

***** 

Han Solo would be the first to admit he knew jack shit about how or why the Force worked, he only knew it did, and for an orphan from Corellia, that was enough for him. He wasn’t sure when he became comfortable with living around Force sensitives but it might have been when he saw two-year-old Ben making his stuffed animals dance on the living room rug. Then again, it might have been when he first laid eyes on Leia training with Luke using light sabers. Or when Luke saved him from Jabba. Or when. . . 

No, he always knew there was something that tickled at the back of his neck when it was time to move on, avoid the heat, and the itch he had now he instantly connected to one person and one person only. His son. 

Ben. 

Ben was alive and, on the move, and it was time for Han to put his forty-plus years of knowledge of the galaxy and smuggling to good use. If anyone knew how to disappear when the heat was on, it was Han Solo. 

Firing up the ‘Falcon’, he yelled for his co-pilot to stop play around with re-wiring the kitchen food vend, and help him get in the air. It was time. 

In fifteen minutes, they were in space and Han pulled up a star chart of his own creation. On it, he’d marked every location he’d ever visited, along with its pluses and minuses as possible hide-outs or refueling centers. Studying the quadrant that stuck in his mind, he immediately dismissed any Resistance planet. Ben was too recognizable among the loyalists, and attraction was the last thing the two wanted. 

He also dismissed those that were strictly loyal to the Order. Too many eyes. 

That left the areas where he worked the best. 

Enlarging the quadrant, he let the tickle in the back of his throat lead him, and was surprised when it insisted upon Rakata Prime. Mostly First Order loyal, their fuel center was open to any with credits to pay, the more untraceable the better. It would make sense to assure their ship was full and space worthy before disappearing into the Unknown Regions. The chances of someone recognizing them was low, and both were supposed to be masters at Jedi Mind Tricks. But he was worried. 

Rakata was too close to Jakku for his liking. Surely Rey wouldn’t want to return to that hell hole, not to mention it would be one of the first places Darth Vader would search. He needed to intercept them before they could walk into a trap. 

He made a quick stop at Takodana to swap out ships. The ‘Falcon’ was far too noticeable to take to an Order planet, especially when he was supposed to be stuck in a siege on Naboo. Maz would hide the ship as long as he needed, no questions asked. Once in the air again, he plotted their course to Rakata, arriving only moment ahead of the yacht of Ben and Rey. The Force was kind again, as they were assigned the berth next to Han. 

He keyed Ben’s private coded frequency and was rewarded with a swift reply. 

“Dad?” 

“Hey kid. Miss me?” 

“Hardly. I’m assuming you’re close, where are you? Rakata Prime doesn’t seem like your type of place.” 

“It isn’t. I’m here, because you’re here. I’ve been volunteered to gift you two with information and maps. As for where, I’m in the ship right next door. Maz lent me a ship.” 

There was a pause. Han wondered what the kids would do: run, or talk. 

“Ok,” Ben replied at last, “we’ll be there in a minute.” 

Han chose to ignore the caution in his son’s voice. 

***** 

Rey was cold. 

Since the moment they’d left the atmosphere of Ahch-to, she’d felt a bone rattling chill that kept her shivering all the time, except when wrapped in Ben’s arms. But lately even his warmth wasn’t enough to keep her from shaking like a spice addict in need of a fix. Something was pulling at the back of her mind, and it was telling her to run. Hard and fast and far away from Rakata Prime. It was only when Ben’s father called him she realized the issue. 

They were near Jakku. She’d heard freight haulers bringing supplies to the Qorum facilities talk about Rakata as a rowdy port where the First Order tended to turn a dim eye to those barely squeaking past the officials. Jakku was in her blood, it called to her, it wanted her to return and lose herself forever in its hot sands. Walking onto the borrowed ship of Han Solo, she felt a heaviness in her belly, a warning. 

“Ben,” she grabbed his arm as Han closed and locked the ramp behind them, “something’s up. I feel it. So determined, so possessive, it hurts to concentrate on the feelings.” 

He nodded and pulled her close. “Don’t be afraid, I feel it too. The Force is letting us know my uncle is on his way to find us.” 

Han pulled up the latest headlines on the holonet. They were all about her and Ben. Where they were, where they might head. The bounty on them, alive only, was staggering. She sat down, suddenly sickened by the blunt reality of their situation. They were rebels, wanted by the First Order, and worse, by Darth Vader and Supreme Leader Snoke and both would stop at nothing to retrieve them intact and together. 

Ben noticed her sudden lack of color and held a bucket under her face just in time for her to erupt like a volcano. Once she was done, he handed the pail to his father and picked her up like he’d done so many times before, and carried her to the fresher so she could wash her face and hands. Glancing at herself in the mirror, she looked wan and fragile. 

“Rey, there’s a nice mattress back there if you’d like to rest. Ben and I can talk, and he can catch you up later.” 

Ben helped her get settled, assuring her he’d leave the bond wide open for her to hear their conversation. She rolled onto her side, closed her eyes, and focused on Ben. 

Her husband was irritated. 

“Why are you here and not with Mom?” 

“Because your mother doesn’t need me. But I have several things you and Rey are going to need on your travels. And both Leia and Padme wanted me to put eyes on you two, make sure everything is alright. You two getting along okay?” 

“Better every day. She’s quite a young lady, and I admire her greatly.” 

“Admire? But do you love her? Or at least think you can love her, in time?” 

“Dad, that’s not really your business.” 

“Ben, your mother and grandmother are going to grill me about this, so please just help me out here and tell me how things are going?” 

She could feel his hesitation, knowing he couldn’t lie to her but could to his father. He wanted to keep their private relationship quiet, at least until they were feeling more assure of their feelings. 

“I can love her, I will love her, I know that. She’s intelligent, witty, honest to a fault, strong, stubborn, and the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. I feel honored to be her husband.” 

“Good answer, kid. Now, let’s get you two loaded up and out of here. First, here’s a disc for your nav computer. It’s a little star chart Chewy and I made throughout the years. Places that are safe to hide, places to fuel that don’t ask questions if you’ve got untraceable credits. It’s everything you need to hide and hide well for as long as needed. 

“Here is a new cloaked binary beacon, set to your mother. Should you need to come home, follow it to her. Another disc, this one is more sensitive. It’s all the Rebel Alliance bases from the previous war, along with their current state of use. Chewy and I have personally verified all these within the past year, so they are good intel. Once your mother can leave Naboo, she'll be moving into resistance mode. You know how she is.” 

“Yeah, I do. Thanks Dad.” Rey could feel Ben’s turbulent emotions about Han and his gifts. On one hand, it would help them tremendously hide from the First Order and all that drama. But on the other hand, it served as proof of all the years Han Solo wasn’t at home being a father to his son. As she listened to some of Ben’s memories of all the times he’d need his father only to have Anakin as a stand-in, she was reminded of what she’d told Ben previously. 

Absence comes in many forms. 

She drifted more closely to sleep, letting Ben and his father have some time alone. As she dreamed, the vision of a dark room with black draping on the walls. A black helmeted soldier sat on an obsidian throne. His helmet was solid black, with slits for eyes and a speaker for a mouth. Too late to back out, Rey grasp that she was Force traveling, and this was Darth Vader. And she'd left her mind wide open when listening to Ben. She had no shields.

The man stood from his throne and reached out, grabbing Rey’s arm. A shock of electricity ran through her, and as she fell to the rising blackness, she heard him whisper. 

“Found you.”


End file.
